Amarantus

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Amarantus >

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Read about Amarantus in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Amarantus (Greek, unfading, in allusion to the lasting character of the calyx and floral bracts). Amarantaceae. Amaranth. Coarse annual plants, grown for colored foliage and the showy flower-clusters; related to the cockscomb. Plants tall and erect or spreading or even prostrate: lvs. alternate, entire, petioled: fls. very small congested in terminal or axillary spikes or glomerules, each 8. subtended by 3 chaffy bracts; petals 0; sepals 3-5, persistent; stamens 2-5: fr. a small 1-seeded utricle.— Some 45-50 species, mostly weedy plants, widely distributed. Some of the pigweeds are of this genus, as A. retroflexus, sometimes known as beetroot and red- root; A. hybridus; A. graecizans (A. albus), one of the tumble-weeds; A. spinosus; A. blitoides and A. Palmeri, spreading eastward along railroads. The amaranths are usually planted as open-air annuals, and they require no special treatment. They thrive best in a hot and sunny place. In very rich soil the leaves become very large but usually lack in bright coloring. Seeds may be sown in the open or in frames. The dwarf and compact varieties, which often have beautifully variegated foliage, may be grown in pots or used for bedding. Give plenty of room. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

• w:Amarantus. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
• Amarantus QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)