Amaranthus cruentus

Amaranthus cruentus
Amaranthus cruentus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Core eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Amaranthaceae
Genus:	Amaranthus
Species:	A. cruentus
Binomial name
Amaranthus cruentus L.

Amaranthus cruentus is a common flowering plant species that yields the nutritious staple amaranth grain. It is one of three Amaranthus species cultivated as a grain source, the other two being Amaranthus hypochondriacus and Amaranthus caudatus. In Mexico it is called Huautli and Alegría and in English it has several common names, including blood amaranth, red amaranth, purple amaranth, Prince's Feather and Mexican grain amaranth.

Amaranthus cruentus (Marathi:"राजगिरा" rajgira, "श्रावणी माठ" shravani maath) is a tall annual herb topped with clusters of dark pink flowers. The plant can grow up to 2 m (6 ft) in height, and blooms in summer to fall. It has now naturalized in most states. It is believed to have originated from Amaranthus hybridus, with which it shares many morphological features. This species was in use as a food source in Central America as early as 4000 BC. The plant is usually green in color, but a purple variant was once grown for use in Inca rituals.

In Maharashtra, it is called as "Shravani Maath" (literally माठ grown in month of Shravan).

Uses

The seeds are eaten as a cereal grain. They are black in the wild plant, and white in the domesticated form. They are ground into flour, popped like popcorn, cooked into a porridge, and made into a confectionery called alegría. The leaves can be cooked like spinach, and the seeds can be germinated into nutritious sprouts. While A. cruentus is no longer a staple food, it is still grown and sold as a health food.

In Maharashtra, during month of Shravan, a stir fried vegetable with just grated coconut is served during festivals. The stem is used in curry made up of Vaal Hyacinth bean

It is an important crop for subsistence farmers in Africa.^[1]

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  Amaranthus cruentus 'Oeschberg' foliage

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  Amaranthus cruentus 'Oeschberg' flowerhead

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  Amaranthus cruentus 'Foxtail' flower closeup

References

1. ^ Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (2004) Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA Foundation, Wageningen; Backhuys, Leiden; CTA, Wageningen.

External links

• USDA profile Amaranthus cruentus
• Edible plants info page
• Jepson Manual treatment
• Taxonomic, Scientific, and Distribution Information
• Van Wyk, Ben-Erik (2005). Food Plants of the World. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press, Inc. ISBN 0-88192-743-0
• "Amaranthus cruentus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=20730. Retrieved September 25, 2006. 
• PROTAbase on Amaranthus cruentus