Amaranthus californicus

(Moquin-Tandon) S. Watson

in W. H. Brewer et al., Bot. California 2: 42. 1880.

Common names: Californian amaranth California amaranth
IllustratedEndemic
Basionym: Mengea californica Moquin-Tandon in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 13(2): 270. 1849
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Treatment on page 431. Mentioned on page 413, 428.

Plants annual, glabrous. Stems prostrate, whitish or tinged with red, much-branched from base, 0.1–0.5 m, rather fleshy. Leaves: petiole 1/2 or less as long as blade; blade pale green, veins prominent, obovate, spatulate, or oblanceolate to linear, 0.3–2(–3) × 0.2–1.5 cm, base cuneate, margins entire, plane or slightly undulate, apex obtuse to subacute, with prominent mucro. Inflorescences axillary clusters borne from bases to tops of plants. Bracts of pistillate flowers linear, 0.5–1 mm, ± equaling tepals. Pistillate flowers: tepals 1–3, narrowly lanceolate, unequal, usually with only 1 well-developed tepal, largest 1–1.2 mm, apex acute to acuminate; stigmas 3. Staminate flowers intermixed with pistillate; tepals (2–)3; stamens 3. Utricles subglobose, 1–1.2 mm, smooth or wrinkled (especially in dry plants), dehiscence regularly circumscissile or tardily dehiscent. Seeds very dark reddish brown, lenticular, (0.6–)0.7–1 mm diam., shiny.


Phenology: Flowering summer–fall.
Habitat: Seasonally moist flats, shores of water bodies, waste places, other disturbed habitats
Elevation: 0-2800 m

Distribution

Alta., Sask., Calif., Idaho, Kans., Mont., Nebr., Nev., Oreg., S.Dak., Tex., Utah, Wash., Wyo.

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Amaranthus californicus"
Sergei L. Mosyakin +  and Kenneth R. Robertson +
(Moquin-Tandon) S. Watson +
Mengea californica +
Californian amaranth +  and California amaranth +
Alta. +, Sask. +, Calif. +, Idaho +, Kans. +, Mont. +, Nebr. +, Nev. +, Oreg. +, S.Dak. +, Tex. +, Utah +, Wash. +  and Wyo. +
0-2800 m +
Seasonally moist flats, shores of water bodies, waste places, other disturbed habitats +
Flowering summer–fall. +
in W. H. Brewer et al., Bot. California +
Illustrated +  and Endemic +
Acanthochiton +, Acnida +, Albersia +, Amblogyna +, Euxolus +, Mengea +, Sarratia +  and Scleropus +
Amaranthus californicus +
Amaranthus subg. Albersia +
species +