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Spreading Pigweed
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Spreading Pigweed
A Naturalized Unknown Photo: S. Kasim
Common name: Spreading Pigweed, Mediterranean Amaranth • Telugu: Chirikoora • Kannada: ಕಿಱುಕಸಾಲೆ, ಕಿಱುಕುಸಲೆ Kirukasale, ಕೀರಕಸಾಲೆ Keerakasaale, ಚಿಲುಕರಿವೆ Chilukarive, ಹಂದಿಕೀರೆ Handikeere
Botanical name: Amaranthus blitoides    Family: Amaranthaceae (Amaranth family)
Synonyms: Amaranthus blitoides var. crassius, Amaranthus blitum var. nanus
Spreading Pigweed is a small annual herb, with stems 15-50 cm, prostrate, whitish, hairless or velvet-hairy in the upper part. Leaves are 1.5-3 cm, oblong-lanceshaped to obovate-spoon-shaped, blunt, with distinct membranous margin. Flowers are borne in leaf-axils, in short cyme-like clusters, leafy to the tip. Bracteoles are shorter than the perianth, lanceshaped. Tepals are 4 or 5, unequal, resembling the bracteoles; the largest 2-2.5 mm, with short acumen. Fruit splits transversely. Spreading Pigweed is native the USA, but now naturalized widely world over, including India.
Identification credit: David Merrick Photographed in Radhapuram, Tirunelveli Dist, Tamil Nadu.
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