Purple Pigweed  

Amaranthus blitum

am-ah-RAN-thus BLIGHT-um

Amaranthaceae

Native to:  the Mediterranean area

Florida abundance and distribution:   A weed along roads, in clearings, and plantations.  The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy), and heavy (clay) acid to basic well-drained soil. 

Recognition:   Annual herb with trailing stems 1-2’ long, and more or less oval leaves having distinctive notched tips, on long petioles.  The numerous green flowers clustered in the angles between leaf and stem and are unisexual, without petals, both male and female flowers occurring on the same plant.  The female flower develops into a juicy, crimson fruit containing a single seed.

Easily confused species: Spiny Amaranth (Amaranthus spinosus) has thorns, and the leaf tips are not indented.

Other:     Commonly called Strawberry Blite, Purple Amaranth, or Slender Amaranth.

Although weedy, it is eaten in many parts of the world; cooked in steam or boiled and then served with olive oil, lemon and salt.  In modern herbal medicine its fluid is used externally as an application in ulcerated conditions of the throat and mouth and as an injection in leucorrhoea, and as a wash for ulcers, sores, etc. For its astringency it is much recommended in diarrhea, dysentery and hemorrhages from the bowels.  Also yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant.

Online resources:     http://www.botanical.com, http://www.pfaf.org

Contributed by:  Grace Walton