Amaranthus standleyanus
Amaranthus standleyanus
Safety & Hazards
No members of this genus are known to be poisonous, but when grown on nitrogen-rich soils they are known to concentrate nitrates in the leaves. This is especially noticeable on land where chemical fertilizers are used. Nitrates are implicated in stomach cancers, blue babies and some other health problems. It is inadvisable, therefore, to eat this plant if it is grown inorganically.
Botanical Description
Amaranthus standleyanus is an erect to decumbent annual plant growing around 70cm tall. The edible leaves and seeds are sometimes gathered from the wild and used locally. The plant produces seed prolifically. It has spread as a weed of disturbed ground from its original range in the Americas to many other areas of the world[ 50 Title Flora Europaea Publication Author ? Publisher Cambridge University Press Year 1964 ISBN - Description An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader. ].