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| − | {{otheruses}}
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| − | {{Taxobox_begin | color=lightgreen | name= ''Amaranthus''}}
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| − | {{Taxobox_image | image = [[Image:Amaranthus tricolor0.jpg|250px|Amaranthus tricolor]] | caption = ''Amaranthus tricolor'' (Joseph's-coat)}}
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| − | {{Taxobox_begin_placement | color = lightgreen}}
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| − | {{Taxobox_regnum_entry | taxon = [[Plant]]ae}}
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| − | {{Taxobox_divisio_entry | taxon = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]}}
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| − | {{Taxobox_classis_entry | taxon = [[Magnoliopsida]]}}
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| − | {{Taxobox_ordo_entry | taxon = [[Caryophyllales]]}}
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| − | {{Taxobox familia entry | taxon = [[Amaranthaceae]]}}
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| − | {{Taxobox genus entry | taxon = '''''Amaranthus'''''}}<br/>{{Taxobox authority new | authority = [[Carolus Linnaeus|L.]]}}
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| − | {{Taxobox_end_placement}}
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| − | {{Taxobox_section_subdivision | color = lightgreen | plural_taxon = Species}}
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| − | See text
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| − | {{Taxobox_end}} | |
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| − | The '''amaranths''' (also called '''pigweeds''') comprise the [[genus]] '''''Amaranthus''''', a widely distributed genus of short-lived [[herb]]s, occurring mostly in temperate and tropical regions. Although there remains some confusion over the detailed taxonomy, there are about 60 ''Amaranthus'' species. Several of them are cultivated as [[leaf vegetable]]s, [[cereal]]s, or [[ornamental plant]]s.
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| | + | EWP |
| | + | | name = Amaranth |
| | + | | image = Amaranthus tricolor0.jpg |
| | + | | description = Amaranth, is a cosmopolitan genus of annual or short-lived perennial plants. Catkin-like cymes of densely packed flowers grow in summer or autumn. Approximately 60 species are recognized, with inflorescences and foliage ranging from purple and red to green or gold. |
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| − | Members of this genus share many characteristics and uses with members of the closely related genus ''[[Celosia]]''.
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| | + | Although several species are often considered weeds, people around the world value amaranths as leaf vegetables and cereals. |
| | + | | range = Worldwide in temperate and tropical zones |
| | + | | seasons = Summer, Fall |
| | + | | use = Amaranth species are cultivated and consumed as a leaf vegetable in many parts of the world. The seeds can be collected and used as a grain (or ground into flour). |
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| − | ==Cultivation and uses==
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| | + | To maximize seed harvest, shake the near-mature seed heads into a paper bag or onto a canvas. If the growing area is large, it is faster to cut the heads all at once when most of the seeds are ripe. The fully ripened heads tend to drop their seeds. |
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| − | Several species are raised for '''amaranth grain''' in [[Asia]] and the [[Americas]]. Amaranth grain is a crop of moderate importance in the [[Himalaya]]. It was one of the staple foodstuffs of the [[Inca]]s, and it is known as '''kiwicha''' in the [[Andes]] today. It was also used by the ancient [[Aztec]]s, who called it '''huautli''', and other Amerindian peoples in [[Mexico]] to prepare ritual drinks and foods. To this day, amaranth grains are toasted much like [[popcorn]] and mixed with [[honey]] or [[molasses]] to make a treat called ''alegría'' (literally "joy") in Mexican [[Spanish language|Spanish]].
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| | + | Dry for a week and thresh the heads with gloved hands or feet on canvas as the chaff is somewhat prickly. The seeds may be lost when winnowing because the chaff and seeds are of similar size and the seeds are of a light weight. If you heap uncleaned seeds in a bowl and toss them, the light debris will concentrate on the top and can be blown away. Repeat this until only seeds remain. |
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| − | Amaranth was used in several Aztec ceremonies, where images of their gods (notably [[Huitzilopochtli]]) were made with amaranth mixed with honey. The images were cut to be eaten by the people. This looked like the [[Christian]] [[eucharist|communion]] to the [[Catholic]] priests, so the cultivation of the grain was forbidden for centuries.
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| − | | + | }} |
| − | Because of its importance as a symbol of indigenous culture, and because it is very palatable, easy to cook, and its protein particularly well suited to human [[nutrition]]al needs, interest in grain amaranth (especially ''A. cruentis'' and ''A. hypochondriaca'') was revived in the [[1970s]]. It was recovered in Mexico from wild varieties is now commercially cultivated. It is a popular snack sold on almost every block of [[Mexico City]], sometimes mixed with [[chocolate]] or [[puffed grain|puffed rice]], and its use has spread to [[Europe]] and [[North America]]. Besides [[protein]], amaranth grain provides a good source of [[dietary fiber]] and [[dietary mineral]]s such as [[iron]], [[magnesium]], [[phosphorus]], [[copper]], and especially [[manganese]].
| + | <noinclude></translate></noinclude> |
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| − | '''Amaranth greens''', also called '''Chinese spinach''', '''hinn choy''' or '''yin tsoi''' ({{zh-cp|c=苋菜|p=xiàncài}}), '''callaloo''', '''tampala''', or '''quelite''', are a common leaf vegetable throughout the tropics and in many warm temperate regions. They are a very good source of [[vitamin]]s including [[vitamin A]], [[vitamin B6]], [[vitamin C]], [[riboflavin]], and [[folate]], and dietary minerals including [[calcium]], [[iron]], [[magnesium]], [[phosphorus]], [[potassium]], [[zinc]], [[copper]], and [[manganese]]. However their moderately high content of [[oxalic acid]] inhibits the absorption of calcium, and also means that they should be avoided or eaten in moderation by people with [[kidney]] disorders, [[gout]], or [[rheumatoid arthritis]].
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| − | The flowers of the Hopi Red Dye amaranth were used by the Hopi Indians as the source of a deep red dye. This dye has been supplanted by a coal tar dye known as [[Red No. 2]] in North America and E123 in the [[European Economic Community|E.E.C.]], also known as amarynth.
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| − | The genus also contains several well-known ornamental plants, such as love-lies-bleeding (''A. caudatus''), a native of [[India]] and a vigorous, hardy annual with dark purplish [[flower]]s crowded in handsome drooping spikes. Another species ''A. hypochondriacus'', is [[prince's feather]], another Indian annual, with deeply-veined lance-shaped leaves, purple on the under face, and deep crimson flowers densely packed on erect spikes.
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| − | == Myth, Legend and Poetry ==
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| − | '''Amaranth''', or Amarant (from the [[Greek language|Greek]] ''amarantos'', unwithering), a name chiefly used in poetry, and applied to Amaranth and other plants which, from not soon fading, typified immortality. Thus, in [[John Milton|Milton's]] [[Paradise Lost]], iii. 353:
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| − | <blockquote>
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| − | :"Immortal amarant, a flower which once
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| − | :In paradise, fast by the tree of life,
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| − | :Began to bloom; but soon for man's offence
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| − | :To heaven removed, where first it grew, there grows,
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| − | :And flowers aloft, shading the fount of life,
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| − | :And where the river of bliss through midst of heaven
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| − | :Rolls o'er elysian flowers her amber stream:
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| − | :With these that never fade the spirits elect
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| − | :Bind their resplendent locks."
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| − | </blockquote>
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| − | It should be noted that the original spelling of the word is amarant; the more common spelling amaranth seems to have come from a [[folk etymology]] that the final syllable derives from the Greek word anthos ("flower"), which enters into a vast number of botanical names.
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| − | In ancient [[Greece]] the amaranth (also called chrusanthemon and elichrusos) was sacred to Ephesian [[Artemis]]. It was supposed to have special healing properties, and as a symbol of
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| − | immortality was used to decorate images of the gods and tombs. In legend, [[Amarynthus]] (a form of Amarantus) was a hunter of Artemis and king of [[Euboea]]; in a village of Amarynthus, of which he was the eponymous hero, there was a famous temple of Artemis Amarynthia or Amarysia (Strabo x. 448; Pausan. i. 31, p. 5).
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| − | ''Amaranth'' is also the name of the otherworldly pantheon that amuses itself by toying with individuals' luck in [[Tim Lebbon]]'s novella "The Unfortunate".
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| − | In [[White Wolf Game Studio]]'s [[Vampire: The Dark Ages]] [[book]]s and [[role-playing game]]s, ''Amaranth'' is the medieval name of what then was widely known as ''[[Diablerie]]'' (consuming the blood and soul of another vampire).
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| − | == Selected species ==
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus acanthochiton]]'' (Greenstripe)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus acutilobius]]'' (Sharplobe Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus albus]]'' (White Pigweed, Prostrate Pigweed, Pigweed Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus arenicola]]'' (Sandhill Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus australis]]'' (Southern Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus bigelovii]]'' (Bigelow's Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus blitoides]]'' (Mat Amaranth, Prostrate Amaranth, Prostrate Pigweed)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus blitum]]'' (Purple Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus brownii]]'' (Brown's Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus californicus]]'' (California Amaranth, California Pigweed)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus cannabinus]]'' (Tidal-marsh Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus caudatus]]'' (Loves-lies-bleeding, Pendant Amaranth, Tassel Flower, Quilete)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus chihuahuensis]]'' (Chihuahuan Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus chlorostachys]]''
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus crassipes]]'' (Spreading Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus crispus]]'' (Crispleaf Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus cruentus]]'' (Purple Amaranth, Red Amaranth, Mexican Grain Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus deflexus]]'' (Large-fruit Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus dubius]]'' (Spleen Amaranth, Khada Sag)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus fimbriatus]]'' (Fringed Amaranth, Fringed Pigweed)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus floridanus]]'' (Florida Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus greggii]]'' (Gregg's Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus hybridus]]'' (Smooth Amaranth, Smooth Pigweed, Red Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus hypochondriacus]]'' (Prince-of-Wales-feather, Princess Feather)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus leucocarpus]]''
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus lineatus]]'' (Australian Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus lividus]]''
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus mantegazzianus]]'' (Quinoa de Castilla)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus minimus]]''
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus muricatus]]'' (African Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus obcordatus]]'' (Trans-Pecos Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus palmeri]]'' (Palmer's Amaranth, Carelessweed)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus paniculus]]'' (Reuzen Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus polygonoides]]'' (Tropical Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus powelii]]'' (Green Amaranth, Powell Amaranth, Powell Pigweed)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus pringlei]]'' (Pringle's Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus pumilus]]'' (Seaside Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus quitensis]]'' (Ataco, Sangorache)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus retroflexus]]'' (Red-root Amaranth, Redroot Pigweed, Common Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus rudis]]'' (Tall Amaranth, Common Waterhemp)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus scleropoides]]'' (Bone-bract Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus spinosus]]'' (Spiny Amaranth, Prickly Amaranth, Thorny Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus standleyanus]]''
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus thunbergii]]'' (Thunberg's Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus torreyi]]'' (Torrey's Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus tricolor]]'' (Joseph's-coat)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus tuberculatus]]'' (Rough-fruit Amaranth, Tall Waterhemp)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus viridis]]'' (Slender Amaranth, Green Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus watsonii]]'' (Watson's Amaranth)
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| − | *''[[Amaranthus wrightii]]'' (Wright's Amaranth)
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| − | == References and external links ==
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| − | {{Commonscat|Amaranthus}}
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| − | * Lenz, ''Botanik der alt. Greich. und Rom.'' Botany of old. (1859)
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| − | * J. Murr, ''Die Pflanzenwelt in der griech. Mythol.'' Plants in Greek Mythology. (1890)
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| − | * [http://www.hear.org/starr/hiplants/images/thumbnails/html/amaranthus_hybridus_thumbnails.htm Amaranthus hybridus]
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| − | * [http://www.hear.org/starr/hiplants/images/thumbnails/html/amaranthus_spinosus_thumbnails.htm Amaranthus spinosus]
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| − | * [http://www.hear.org/starr/hiplants/images/600max/html/starr_010520_0109_amaranthus_viridis.htm Amaranthus viridis]
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| − | * [http://flora.huh.harvard.edu:8080/flora/browse.do?flora_id=1&taxon_id=101257 Flora online : Flora of North America]
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| − | * [http://amaranth.twoday.net/topics/Amaranthus+Info/ Amaranthus Info]
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| − | <gallery>
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| − | Image:Amaranthus caudatus1.jpg|Loves-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus)
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| − | Image:Amaranthus.hybridus1web.jpg|Green Amaranth (''A. hybridus'')
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| − | Image:Seabeach Amaranth.jpg|Seabeach amaranth (''A. pumilus''), an [[endangered species]] of amaranth
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| − | Image:Illustration Amaranthus retroflexus0.jpg|Red-root Amaranth (''A. retroflexus'') - from Thomé, ''Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz'' 1885
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| − | Image:Amaranthus.spinosus1web.jpg|Spiny Amaranth (''Amaranthus spinosus'')
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| − | Image:Amaranthus spinosus c.jpg|Callaloo (''Amaranthus spinosus "calaloo"'')
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| − | Image:Amaranthus.viridis1web.jpg|Green Amaranth (''Amaranthus viridis'')
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| − | </gallery> | |
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| − | [[Category:Caryophyllales]]
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| − | [[Category:Leaf vegetables]]
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| − | [[Category:Cereals]]
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| − | [[cs:Laskavec]]
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| − | [[de:Amarant (Lebensmittel)]]
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| − | [[es:Amaranto]]
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| − | [[eo:Amaranto nutraĵa]]
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| − | [[fr:Amarante]]
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| − | [[it:Amaranto (alimento)]]
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| − | [[nl:Amarant (geslacht)]]
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