WHITE PIGWEED

Amaranthus albus

Goosefoot Family [Amaranthaceae]

month8jul month8july month8aug month8sep month8sept

status
statusZneophyte
 
flower
flower8white
 
morph
morph8actino
 
petals
petalsZ3
tepals
type
typeZspiked
 
stem
stem8round
 
stem
stem8fluted
 
sex
sexZmonoecious
 

21st Aug 2010, Reading, Berks. Photo: (CC by 2.0) Reneé Grayer
Here upright, but often found prostrate. The stems are whitish. The inflorescence has many spiny bracts. The flowers are in dense spike-like clusters at the tops of stems. The bracteoles (secondary bracts) are twice as long as the perianth (calyx plus corolla) [probably neith of those are discernible in the above photo].


Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
The leave are usually rounded at the ends. The flowering stems of this species are leafy all the way to the stem apex.


Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
Two specimens lain flat out. There's a root just left of centre.


Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
Undersides of leaves might be purple-brown (or that may be an artefact of being dead and drying out?).


Photo: (CC by 2.0) Geoff Toone
The leaves have a tiny longish (acuminate) point at the end (central leaf).


For distinguishing features, see captions.

No relation to : Pignut (Conopodium majus), Pigmyweed (Crassula aquatica), New-Zealand Pigmyweed (Crassula helmsii), Pigmy Rush (Juncus pygmaeus) nor with Spignel (Meum athamanticum) [plants with similar names belonging to differing families].

It is found mainly in the South of England, only rarely in Ireland or the Channel Islands. It is native to North America and over here is an introduction which has naturalised in a few places.


  Amaranthus albus  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Amaranthaceae  

Distribution
 family8Goosefoot family8Amaranthaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Amaranthus
Amaranthus
(Pigweeds)

WHITE PIGWEED

Amaranthus albus

Goosefoot Family [Amaranthaceae]