Amaranthus blitum L., Amaranthaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Amaranthus lividus L.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: ao tou xian

English: livid amaranth, purple amaranth, slender amaranth

French: amarante livide

Spanish: bledo

Tahitian: upooti

Tongan: tupu‘a

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Monoecious annual herbs; stems sometimes tinged reddish or yellowish; erect, ascending, or prostrate, 0.6-6 (-9) dm long, unbranched or branched, striate, glabrous, rarely with unicellular to multicellular short hairs, especially above.  Leaves ovate to rhombic-ovate, blades 1-8 cm long, 0.6-6 cm wide, glabrous, rarely the lower surface with scattered multicellular hairs along the veins, apex usually broad, widely emarginate, petioles 0.5-10 cm long.  Flowers green, in slendere to stout axillary or terminal spikes, rarely panicles, both sexes mixed throughout the spikes, bracts and bracteoles whitish, deltate-ovate to lanceolate, membranous, tipped with a short yellow or reddish mucro; sepals 3 (4), lanceolate-oblong to spatulate, 0.7-2 mm long, apex subacute, mucronate, apex of pistillate flowers often more blunt; stigmas 2-3.  Fruit globose to pyriform, compressed, exceeding the sepals, 1.2-2.5 mm long, indehiscent or rupturing irregularly at maturity, the surface smooth, occasionally wrinkled upon drying.  Seeds dark brown to black, shiny, the margins duller, compressed, 1-1.8 mm long, faintly reticulate, minutely punctate-roughened"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 188).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "apparently sparingly naturalized in disturbed areas "(Wagner et al., 1999; p. 188).  In Papua New Guinea, "a weed of cultivation and plantations, to some extent grown in food gardens, the leaves being used as spinach" (Henty & Pritchard, 1975; p. 54); occurring as a weed along roads, in clearings and plantations, at 1200-2000 m altitude"  (Womersley, 1978; p.27). "Occasional in vegetable crops and disturbed places" (Whistler, 1988; p. 6). In New Zealand, "waste places, cultivated ground; uncommon" (Webb et al., 1988; p. 103).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Europe, Africa and/or Asia; exact native range obscure (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
American Samoa Tutuila Islands	Tutuila Island		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 88)
American Samoa Tutuila Islands	Tutuila Island		Anon. (1988) (p. 1)
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 18) "A weed of disturbed ground". Vouchers cited: J. Pickard 2952 (NSW), A.C. Beauglehole 5522 (MEL), J.D. McComish 198 (NSW)
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island	introduced	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 7) "A weed of disturbed ground". Vouchers cited: R.O. Gardner 5769 (AK), P.S. Green 2445 (K), P.S. Green 2444 (K)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Isabela Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008) As Amaranthus lividus = Amaranthus blitum L. subsp. oleraceus (L.) Costea
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcán Alcedo, Isabela Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcán Sierra Negra, Isabela Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008) As Amaranthus lividus
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008) As Amaranthus lividus = Amaranthus blitum L. subsp. oleraceus (L.) Costea
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008) As Amaranthus lividus = Amaranthus blitum L. subsp. oleraceus (L.) Costea
French Polynesia Society Islands	Mehetia (Mahetia, Meetia) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 61-62) subsp. polygonoides (C.H.B.A. Moquin-Tandon) R. Probst
French Polynesia Society Islands	Mehetia (Mahetia, Meetia) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) As Amaranthus lividus C. Linnaeus. Voucher cited: J. Florence 10296 (PAP) Adventice
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 61-62) subsp. polygonoides (C.H.B.A. Moquin-Tandon) R. Probst
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) subsp. polygonoides (C.H. Moquin-Tandon) R. Probst. "Mauvaise herbe dans l'ombrière du jardin". Voucher cited: J. Florence 2814 (PAP) Adventice
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rimatara (Rimitara) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) subsp. polygonoides (C.H. Moquin-Tandon) R. Probst Adventice
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 188) Sparingly naturalized.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 188) Sparingly naturalized.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 188) Voucher cited: K. Nagata 910 (BISH) Sparingly naturalized.
Japan (offshore islands) Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced	Kato, Hidetoshi (2007)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Jaluit (Jãlwõj) Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 68) var. oleraceus
Niue Niue	Niue Island	invasive	Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 6) Voucher cited: Sykes 341
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	introduced invasive cultivated	Henty, E. E./Pritchard, G. H. (1975) (p. 54) From near sea level to over 2000 m.
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	Papua New Guinea (eastern New Guinea Island)	introduced invasive	Womersley, John S., ed. (1978) (pp. 26-27)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Savai‘i Island		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 6)
Samoa Western Samoa Islands	Upolu Island		Whistler, W. A. (1988) (p. 6)
Tonga Tongatapu Group	‘Eua Island		Yuncker, T. G. (1959) (p. 107) Voucher cited: Yuncker 15643
Tonga Tongatapu Group	Tongatapu Island		Whistler, W. A. (1992) (p. 2) Voucher cited: Soakai 970
Tuvalu Tuvalu (Ellis) Islands	Tuvalu Islands		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 88)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Midway Atoll	Midway Atoll	introduced invasive	Bruegmann, Marie M. (1999) (p. 1) subsp. polygonoides (Moq.) Probst; voucher cited: Bruegmann 2018 (BISH) Naturalized but rare.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
China China	Hong Kong	native	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 78)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Japan Japan	Japan (country)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)		Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (p. 63)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 103) As A. lividus L.
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 12) ssp. oleraceus (L.) Costea. Naturalised
Taiwan Taiwan	Taiwan Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)		Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (p. 63)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Additional information:
Additional online information about Amaranthus blitum is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Amaranthus blitum as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Amaranthus blitum may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Anon. 1988. Weed list for American Samoa by cropping system. Checklist dated 07/13/88, origin unknown. 3 pp.

Bruegmann, Marie M. 1999. New records of flowering plants on Midway Atoll. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 1998. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 59:1-2.

Charles Darwin Foundation. 2008. Database inventory of introduced plant species in the rural and urban zones of Galapagos. Charles Darwin Foundation, Galapagos, Ecuador.

Charles Darwin Research Station. 2005. CDRS Herbarium records.

Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. 2009. A checklist of the total vascular plant flora of Singapore: native, naturalised and cultivated species. Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore. 273 pp.

Florence, J. 2004. Flore de la Polynésie française, Vol. 2. Paris. IRE Editions, Publications Scientifiques, Collection Faune et Flore Tropicales 41. 503 pp.

Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. 2011. Base de données botaniques Nadeaud de l'Herbier de la Polynésie Française (PAP). (online resource).

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1979. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian dicotyledonae. Micronesica 15:1-295.

Henty, E. E./Pritchard, G. H. 1975. Weeds of New Guinea and their control. 2nd edition. Department of Forests, Division of Botany, Botany Bull. No. 7. Lae, Papua New Guinea. 180 pp.

Kato, Hidetoshi. 2007. Herbarium records of Makino Herbarium, Tokyo Metropolitan University. Personal communication.

Orchard, Anthony E., ed. 1994. Flora of Australia. Vol. 49, Oceanic islands 1. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Waterhouse, D. F. 1993. The major arthropod pests and weeds of agriculture in Southeast Asia. The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, Canberra. 141 pp.

Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. 1988. Flora of New Zealand, Volume IV: Naturalised pteridophytes, gymnosperms, dicotyledons. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch. 1365 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1988. Checklist of the weed flora of western Polynesia. Technical Paper No. 194, South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 69 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1992. Flora of Tonga [unpublished checklist]. 107 pp.

Wiggins, I. L./Porter, D. M. 1971. Flora of the Galapágos Islands. Stanford University Press. 998 pp.

Womersley, John S., ed. 1978. Handbooks of the flora of Papua New Guinea, vol. 1. Melbourne University Press, Melbourne. 278 pp.

Wu, Te-lin. 2001. Check List of Hong Kong Plants. Hong Kong Herbarium and the South China Institute of Botany. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Bulletin 1 (revised). 384 pp.

Yuncker, T. G. 1959. Plants of Tonga. Bishop Museum Bull. 220. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 343 pp.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).