Amaranthus spinosus, Spiny amaranth, spiny pigweed, prickly amaranth

Amaranthus spinosus, commonly known as the spiny amaranth, spiny pigweed, prickly amaranth, or thorny amaranth belongs to the Amaranth family Amaranthaceae. The plant is widely distributed throughout the tropics and warm temperate regions of Asia from Japan to Indonesia to India, the Pacific islands, native to tropical America and Australia as a weed in cultivated as well as fallow lands. The plant is sometimes a noxious weed. It can be a serious weed of rice cultivation in Asia. You can cook the leaves and stems or eat raw to get its very nutritious benefits. Prickly amaranth, Spiny amaranth, Thorny amaranth, Thorny pigweed, Prince-of-Wales-feather, Carelessweed, Edlebur, Needlebur, Pigweed, Prickly calalu, Spiny pigweed, prickly, pigweed, soldier-weed, spiny pigweed, thorny amaranthus, calaloo, needle burr, pigweed, prickly calaloo, prickly called, prickly caterpillar, spiny amaranthus, spiny calaloo, sticker weed, thorny pigweed and wild callau are some of the well-known common names of the plant. This herbal plant is mainly found in a warm area and is known for traditional medicine throughout the world.

Prickly Amaranth Facts

Name Prickly Amaranth
Scientific Name Amaranthus spinosus
Native Lowlands of tropical America, but it is now a pantropical weed occurring in warmer areas worldwide
Common Names Prickly amaranth, Spiny amaranth, Thorny amaranth, Thorny pigweed, Prince-of-Wales-feather, Carelessweed, Edlebur, Needlebur, Pigweed, Prickly calalu, Spiny pigweed, prickly, pigweed, soldier-weed, spiny pigweed, thorny amaranthus, calaloo, needle burr, pigweed, prickly calaloo, prickly callau, prickly caterpillar, spiny amaranthus, spiny calaloo, sticker weed, thorny pigweed, wild callau
Name in Other Languages Albanian: Nenë
Argentina: Ataco espinudo
Assamese: Hati khutura, Kanta notiya, Kanta khudra, Hatisaroli, Kata-khutura
Bahamas: Calalue,  spiny amaranth
Bangladesh: Katanata
Bengali:  Janum arak, Kanta maris, Kanta nati, Kanta nutia, Kanta notya, Kuil rakha, Kantanotya
Bikol: Kilitis
Bontoc: Tadtad
Brazil: Bredo de espino, caruru de espino, caruru-bravo, caruru-de-espinho
Bulgarian: Bodliv shtir (бодлив щир)
Burmese:  Hinka noe suba, Hinnoe suba
Cambodia: Phti banla
Cebuano: Kalitis
Chamorro: Kuletes, kulites
Chinese:  Ci xian (刺苋), tsz-hsien, Le xian cai, Lei xian cai, Tz’u Hsien-ts’ai
Croatian: Sneljek
Cuba: Bledo espinoso
Czech: Laskavec trnitý
Danish: Tornet amarant
El Salvador: Bledo, blero, huisquilite
English:  Prickly amaranth, Spiny amaranth, Thorny amaranth, Thorny pigweed, Prince-of-Wales-feather, Carelessweed, Edlebur, Needlebur, Pigweed, Prickly calalu, Spiny pigweed, prickly caterpillar
Ethiopia: Aluma
Filipino: Gitin-gitin
Finnish:  Piikkirevonhäntä
French:  Amarante épineuse, Brède malabar, Epinard cochon, Epinard piquant, Pariétaire à piquants, Pariétaire piquant, Épinard malabre, Épinard rouge, brède malabar à piquants, oseille, petit trèfle, trèfle
German:  Dorniger Fuchsschwanz, Malabarspinat,  Dorniger Amarant, Amarant, Dorn, Fuchsschwanz,  Dornamarant
Gujarati:  Kantalo dhimdo, Kantanu dant, Tandaljo
Haiti: Epinard piquard, epinard sauvage, zépina piquant, zépinard piquant
Hawaiian: Pakai kukū, pukai kuku
Hebrew: Yarbuz kotzani, יַרְבּוּז קוֹצָנִי
Hindi:  Chaulai bhaji, Cholai, Choulai, Jangli cholai, Kantabhaji, Kantanatia, Kanta chaulai, Kataili chaulai, Kateli, Katemath, Rajgira, bajra, chauli
Ifugao: Alayon
Iloko: Kalunai
Indonesia: Bayam eri,  bayem cikron, senggang cucuk
Irula: Mulkeerai
Italian:  Amaranto spinoso
Japanese: Hari biyu (ハリビユ)
Kannada:  Mulludantina soppu, Mulladantu, Mullu dantu, Mulluharive soppu, Mulhara vesoppu, Mullaravesoppu
Korean:  Ga si bi reum (가시비름), teol bi reum
Lesser Antilles: Zépinna wouj
Malagasy:  Anambano, Anampatsabetsilo, Anampatsamaitsotaho
Malayalam:  Mullan chira, Mullancheera, Kattumullenkeera, Cherucheera, Mullen Cheera
Malaysia: Bayam duri
Manipuri: Chengkruk (চেংগ্ক্রুক)
Marathi:  Kante math, Kanterimat,  Kanti mat, Shanalai, Thanduliya, Tandulja, kante bhaji (कांटेभाजी), kante math (कांटेमाठ)
Mauritius: Brede malabar a piquants, oseille, petit trefle, trefle
Mexico: Quelite
Myanmar: Hin-nu-nive-tsu-bauk, tsu-gyi
Nepali: Kaande Lunde (काँडे लुँडे), Bandanee (बन्दनी), Ban Lunde (बन लुँडे), Ban lure, Dhuti ghans
Nigeria: Tete elegun
Norwegian:  Tornamarant
Oriya:  Kanta mariso, Kantaneutia
Pakistan: Khaddar-chaulai
Pampangan: Ayantoto
Peru: Yuyo macho
Philippines: Akum, alayon, ayantoto, gitin-giting, kalitis, kalunai, orai, tadtad
Portuguese:  Bredo-bravo, Bredo-de-espinho, Caruru-bravo, Carurú-de-espinho, Mastruz, bredo-branco
Puerto Rico: Blero espinoso
Russian:  Shchiritsa kolyuchaya (Щирица колючая)  Shchiritsa koljuchaia
Sanskrit:  Bahuvirya, Bhandi, Bhandira, Ghanasvana, Granthila, lpamarisha, Kandakamarisha, Kandera, Kantaki, Meghanada, Pathyashaka, Tandula,  Tanduliya, Tanduliyah  (तण्डुलीयः)
Slovak: Láskavec
South Africa: Doring misbredie
Spanish:  Bledo espinoso,  Espinaca de Malabar, Quelite espinoso, bledo, blero, huisquilite, yuyo macho, blero espinoso, bredo-de-espinho, mercolina, ataco espinado, pira brava
Surinam: Makakraroen, Maka mboa
Swedish:  Taggamarant
Tagalog: Orai
Tamil: Kuppaimulli, Mullikkirai, Mullukeerai (முள்ளுக்கீரை), Mullukkirai, Semmullikkirai, Sivappumullikkirai
Tangkhul: Somchan
Telegu:  Erra mulu goranta, Ettamulugoranta, Mullatotakura (ముళ్లతోటకూర), Mulugoranta, Mundla tota kura, Mundlatotakura, Mullu thorta kora, Nalla doggali, Nalladoggali
Thai:   Phak khom nam (ผักขมหนาม)
Turkish: Dikenibik
Venezuela: Pira brave
Vietnamese:  Dền gai
Zimbabwe: Imbowa, mohwa-gura
Plant Growth Habit Erect, spinous, multi branched, smooth, herbaceous annual herb
Growing Climates Cultivated fields, waste places, roadsides, garbage heaps, and abandoned fields, Disturbed areas, Fields, along railroad tracks, stock pens
Soil Thrives in rich, warm, loamy soils with high organic matter and sufficient nitrogen
Plant Size Up to 150 cm long
Root Strong taproot with a network of fibrous feeder roots. The taproot may or may not be distinctly reddish in color
Stem Erect or sometimes ascending proximally, much-branched and bushy, rarely nearly simple, 0.3-1(-2) m; each node with paired, divergent spines (modified bracts) to 1.5(-2.5) cm
In Leaf April to October
Leaf Alternate, petiolate, ovate to lanceolate in outline, with entire margins
Flowering season July to September
Flower Unisexual. Staminate flowers are produced in simple or compound terminal spikes. Pistillate flowers are produced in axillary clusters. Flowers are non-showy, and have 5 greenish tepals
Fruit Shape & Size Ovoid shaped fruit, mostly dehiscent, compressed, ellipsoidal, acute or obtuse, with a short inflated neck below the style base
Seed Black, lenticular or sub globose, 0.7-1 mm diameter, smooth, shiny
Propagation By seed
Taste Bitter
Plant Parts Used Root, leaves, stem, tender parts
Season August to October
Precautions
  • Avoid use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Prickly Amaranth Scientific Classification

Scientific Name: Amaranthus spinosus

Rank Scientific Name & (Common Name)
Kingdom Plantae (Plants)
Subkingdom Tracheobionta (Vascular plants)
Infrakingdom Streptophyta  (land plants)
Superdivision Spermatophyta (Seed plants)
Division Magnoliophyta (Flowering plants)
Subdivision Spermatophytina  (spermatophytes, seed plants, phanérogames)
Class Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons)
Subclass Caryophyllidae
Superorder Caryophyllanae
Order Caryophyllales
Family Amaranthaceae  (Amaranth family)
Genus Amaranthus L. (pigweed)
Species Amaranthus spinosus L. (spiny amaranth)
Synonyms
  • Amaranthus caracasanus Kunth
  • Amaranthus coracanus Mart.
  • Amaranthus diacanthus Raf.
  • Amaranthus spinosus f. inermis Lauterb. & K.Schum.
  • Amaranthus spinosus var. basiscissus Thell.
  • Amaranthus spinosus var. circumscissus Thell.
  • Amaranthus spinosus var. indehiscens Thell.
  • Amaranthus spinosus var. purpurascens Moq.
  • Amaranthus spinosus var. pygmaeus Hassk.
  • Amaranthus spinosus var. rubricaulis Hassk.
  • Amaranthus spinosus var. viridicaulis Hassk.
  • Galliaria spinosa (L.) Nieuwl.
  • Galliaria spitosa (L.) Nieuwl.

Plant Description

Prickly amaranth is an erect, spinous, multi-branched, and smooth, herbaceous annual herb that grows up to 150 cm long. The plant is found growing in cultivated fields, waste places, roadsides; garbage heaps, abandoned fields, disturbed areas, fields, along railroad tracks, and stock pens. The plant thrives in rich, warm, loamy soils with high organic matter and sufficient nitrogen. The plant has a strong taproot with a network of fibrous feeder roots. The taproot may or may not be distinctly reddish in color. The stem is erect or sometimes ascending proximally, much-branched and bushy, rarely nearly simple, 0.3-1(-2) m; each node with paired, divergent spines (modified bracts) to 1.5(-2.5) cm.

Leaves

Leaves are simple and alternate without stipules. Leaf-blades are egg-shaped to diamond-shaped, with the broader end closest to the stem, and 1–4 inches long and 0.5–2.5 inches wide. The petiole is approximately as long as the blade. Leaves may be variegated with a v-shaped watermark or area of lighter color, although this is not a definitive characteristic of this species, since some other amaranths can show a similar watermark. Both sides of the leaves are smooth, with many small translucent dots. The upper side is green, the lower side often purple.

Flower

Flowers are unisexual, solitary in the axil of a bract, subtended by 2 bracteoles. Bracts and bracteoles are scarious, mucronate from a broad base, shorter than or as long as the perianth. Male flowers are usually arranged in a terminal spike above the base of the inflorescence.  Male flowers are often 3, free, subequal, ovate-oblong to oblong-spatulate, up to 2.5 mm long, very convex, membranous, with transparent margins and green or purple median band. Male flowers have 5 stamens about as long as tepals. Female flowers are with superior, oblong ovary, 1-celled, styles 2–3, ultimately recurved. The female flowers are located at the base of the spikes, the male flowers at the tip.

Fruit and Seed

Fertile flowers are followed by ovoid-shaped fruit, mostly dehiscent, compressed, ellipsoidal, acute or obtuse, with a short inflated neck below the style base, circum sessile a little below the middle or indehiscent. The fruit split along a transverse circular line (circumscissile) at maturity and are one-seeded. The seed is about 1 mm in diameter, lenticular, smooth, shiny, compressed, black or brownish-black in color with a thin margin.

Health Benefits of Prickly Amaranth

Listed below are some of the well-known health benefits of Prickly amaranth

1. Help to lose weight

The most natural thing to do to lose weight is to maintain healthy eating; therefore we can gain the benefits of healthy eating. But amaranthus consists of a lot of vitamins and specific hormones that suppressed food appetite and helps to lose weight effectively.

2. Enhance eyes health

One of the many health benefits of Prickly amaranth is to improve eye vision. It consists of lutein that is connected to eye tissue to make better vision.

3. Treatment for gastrointestinal problems

Leaves of Prickly amaranth consist of high fiber content that allows better circumstances to facilitate the digestion process.

4. Hair health treatment

Prickly amaranth has a rare amino acid that helps to prevent baldness.

5. Develop bones

It can be used as a superfood to increase bone growth because it contains calcium that is necessary to develop bones. It has been said that this particular herbal plant is one of the higher holdings of calcium compared to any other vegetable.

Traditional uses and benefits of Prickly amaranth

  • Leaves, roots, and whole plants are used as a laxative, blood purifier, diuretics, and soporific.
  • Taking the crushed and squeezed juice from the plant will neutralize the venom in snake bites.
  • Boiling the plant and taking it will keep help prevent miscarriages.
  • Eating the leaves cooked in a curry will cure pain in urination and kidney stones.
  • Juice squeezed from leaves can be licked with honey to cure vomiting and passing of blood, excessive menstruation, white vaginal discharge, gonorrhea, and sores and bumps.
  • Paste of the root made with water will neutralize the poison if applied to the site of a scorpion sting.
  • It can also be applied to boils to cure them.
  • Applying either the paste of the root or using the crushed root as a poultice will cure the stiffness of the muscles.
  • Paste made with water can be strained and taken once in the morning and once at night to cure excessive menstruation.
  • Seed is used as a poultice for broken bones.
  • Plant is astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic, emollient, febrifuge and galactogogue.
  • It is used internally in the treatment of internal bleeding, diarrhea, and excessive menstruation.
  • Externally, it is used to treat ulcerated mouths, vaginal discharges, nosebleeds and wounds.
  • Root is emmenogogue and galactogogue.
  • Paste of the root is used in the treatment of menorrhagia, gonorrhea, eczema and colic.
  • It helps to remove pus from boils.
  • Juice of the root is used in Nepal to treat fevers, urinary troubles, diarrhea and dysentery.
  • It is also used, often combined with the root juice of Dichrophela Integra and Rubus ellipticus, to treat stomach disorders and, on its own, to treat indigestion and vomiting that occur after eating unusual foods.
  • Decoction of the root is used to treat gonorrhea and as an antipyretic in South East Asia.
  • Bruised leaves are considered a good emollient and applied externally in cases of eczema, burns, wounds, boils, earache and hemorrhoids.
  • Some tribes in India used A. spinosus to induce abortion.
  • Ash of fruits of Amaranthus spinosus is used for jaundice in the folk medicine of India.
  • The plant ash in the solution is used to wash sores.
  • Plant sap is used as an eyewash to treat ophthalmia and convulsions in children.
  • It is used as an expectorant and to relieve breathing in acute bronchitis in Malaysia.
  • Decoction of roots has been used for the treatment of gonorrhea in the Philippines.
  • Roots – sun-dried, calcined, powdered, and made into pill are used for gonorrhea.
  • Roots are used for menorrhagia, gonorrhea, eczema, colic, and as lactagogue in Pakistan.
  • Leaves and roots are used as laxatives, on boils, and as poultice for abscesses.
  • It is used for diabetes in the traditional medicine of Taiwan and China.
  • Enema prepared from the plant is used for piles in Gold Coast.
  • A poultice of seeds is used for broken bones; used internally for bleeding, diarrhea, and menorrhagia in China.
  • Infusion of roots used in the treatment of eczema in India.
  • Bruised leaves used as emollient; applied externally to ulcerations in the mouth, eczema, burns, wounds, boils, earaches, and hemorrhoids.
  • It is used as an expectorant for acute bronchitis in Malaysia.
  • In Ayurveda, leaf infusion is used as a diuretic and for the treatment of anemia.
  • Root paste used in the treatment of gonorrhea.
  • Ashes from the burnt plant used for sores; juice from the plant used as eyewash in Nigeria.
  • In Hindi medicine, roots are used as a specific colic remedy.
  • Warmed leaves are applied locally three times daily for five to cure boils and burns in the Bhadrak district of Odisha, India.
  • The Anyi-Ndenye women of eastern Cote d’Ivoire use leaf enema during pregnancy.
  • In the Guianas, root is used for toothache; leaf compresses are used as compresses in herbal curative baths by the Surinam Saramaccan Bush Negroes.
  • Juice of A. spinosus is used by tribal of Kerala, India to prevent swelling around the stomach.
  • Leaves are boiled without salt and consumed for 2–3 days to cure jaundice.
  • it is a popular medicinal plant used to reputed for treat digestible, bronchitis, appetizer, biliousness, galactagogue, hematinic, stomachic effects, nausea, flatulence, anorexia, blood diseases, burning sensation, leucorrhoea, leprosy, piles and as a treatment for hallucination, healing of wounds and rheumatism, and to arrest the coughing up of blood.
  • Village people of Sikkim use leaf infusion of in stomach disorders especially in case of indigestion and peptic ulcer.
  • Leaves and roots are applied as a poultice to relieve bruises, abscesses, burns, wounds, inflammation, menorrhagia, gonorrhea, eczema, gastroenteritis, gall bladder inflammation, arthritis and for the treatment of snakebites.
  • The plant is used in the treatment of abdominal pain, chickenpox, dysentery, dysuria, fever, hysteria, malaria, mania, tonsillitis & vomiting.
  • Leaf juice of the plant, two teaspoonfuls thrice a day, is given to patients suffering from peptic ulcers.
  • The Chinese use A. spinosus as a traditional medicine to treat diabetes.
  • Seed is used as a poultice for broken bones.
  • The Nepalese and some tribes in India apply A. spinosus to induce abortion.
  • The root is also used for toothaches.
  • In many countries, including those in Africa, the bruised leaves are considered a good emollient and applied externally in cases of ulcerated mouths, eczema, burns, wounds, boils, earache, and hemorrhoids.
  • Bark decoction is taken in a volume of about one liter three times a day to ward off malaria.

Culinary Uses

  • Leaves and stems of Amaranthus spinosus are eaten raw or cooked as spinach.
  • Ash is also used as a vegetable salt and in southern Africa, it is used as a snuff, alone or with tobacco.
  • Mature stems are piled, cut into small pieces, and cooked as vegetables,s, especially with small fishes.
  • It is also added to the water as a tenderizer when cooking tough vegetables such as cowpea leaves and pigeon peas.
  • The red pigment obtained from the plant (the report does not specify which part of the plant) is used as a coloring in foods.

Other Facts

  • Yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant.
  • The red pigment obtained from the plant (the report does not specify which part of the plant) is used as a coloring in foods and medicines.
  • In tropical Africa and elsewhere, A. spinosus leaves and young plants are collected for home consumption as cooked, steamed, or fried vegetables, especially during periods of drought.
  • It is also used as forage and said to increase the yield of milk in cattle.
  • It can produce up to 235 thousand seeds per plant.

 


References

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