Flora canaria > Especies silvestres
Amaranthus quitensis
Amaranthus quitensis Humb., Bonpl. & Kunth
Familia
AMARANTHACEAE
Bledo
Amaranthus quitensis (also classified as Amaranthus hybridus subsp. quitensis) is an annual herbaceous plant of the Amaranthaceae family, native to South America. It is an extremely adaptable and polymorphic organism with a very marked dual nature: it acts as a highly aggressive agricultural weed in the Southern Cone and, at the same time, as an ancestral food and medicinal crop in the Andean region.
It is an erect plant measuring between 30 cm and 2 metres in height.
It has robust stems that branch from the base, with a reddish-green colouration imparted by natural pigments called betalains. Its leaves are ovate-lanceolate in shape.
It produces dense cylindrical spikes arranged in terminal panicles. It is wind-pollinated and reproduces exclusively by seed.
In countries such as Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, this species is one of the biggest headaches for farmers:
It infests summer crops such as soya, maize and sunflowers. A density of just one plant per square metre can reduce soya yields by 15 per cent.
If consumed in large quantities by grazing cattle, it can cause severe and potentially fatal kidney failure.
In contrast to its role as a weed in the south of the continent, it has been cultivated for thousands of years in the Andean region (particularly in Ecuador), where its reddish or dark purple inflorescences are used to give the traditional Colada Morada and Agua de Horchata of the Ecuadorian highlands their characteristic colour and flavour.
Like other amaranths, its young leaves contain high levels of iron, calcium and vitamins A and C.
It is traditionally used to relieve pain, reduce inflammation and in herbal teas intended to treat nervous system disorders or epilepsy.
La Palma, Tenerife
Bledo
Amaranthus quitensis (also classified as Amaranthus hybridus subsp. quitensis) is an annual herbaceous plant of the Amaranthaceae family, native to South America. It is an extremely adaptable and polymorphic organism with a very marked dual nature: it acts as a highly aggressive agricultural weed in the Southern Cone and, at the same time, as an ancestral food and medicinal crop in the Andean region.
It is an erect plant measuring between 30 cm and 2 metres in height.
It has robust stems that branch from the base, with a reddish-green colouration imparted by natural pigments called betalains. Its leaves are ovate-lanceolate in shape.
It produces dense cylindrical spikes arranged in terminal panicles. It is wind-pollinated and reproduces exclusively by seed.
In countries such as Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, this species is one of the biggest headaches for farmers:
It infests summer crops such as soya, maize and sunflowers. A density of just one plant per square metre can reduce soya yields by 15 per cent.
If consumed in large quantities by grazing cattle, it can cause severe and potentially fatal kidney failure.
In contrast to its role as a weed in the south of the continent, it has been cultivated for thousands of years in the Andean region (particularly in Ecuador), where its reddish or dark purple inflorescences are used to give the traditional Colada Morada and Agua de Horchata of the Ecuadorian highlands their characteristic colour and flavour.
Like other amaranths, its young leaves contain high levels of iron, calcium and vitamins A and C.
It is traditionally used to relieve pain, reduce inflammation and in herbal teas intended to treat nervous system disorders or epilepsy.
La Palma, Tenerife
