Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets Amaranthus tricolor

Edible Portion: Leaves, Seeds, Vegetable, Flowers, Leaves - Tea

A herb about 1 m high and spreads 45 cm wide. A small annual leafy green. An upright, much branched annual with a thin membrane covering the stems. Sometimes the plant lies over. The stems are angular. The plant branches in the upper part of the plant. It is smooth and grows from seed each year. Leaves have long leaf stalks which can be 5-10 cm long. Leaves vary in shape, size and colour. The leaf blade can be 5-25 cm long by 2-6 cm wide. Leaves are dull purplish and the top leaves can be yellow or red. Some types have coloured leaves or patterns on the leaves. It has a clumpy seed head at the top. The flower spike at the top can be 30 cm long. The seed are 1-1.2 mm across and black.

Common Names: Chinese amaranth, Red amaranth, Anana, Anantarika, Anga-sag, Arai keerai, Ariki sira, Badi chaulai, Ban chaulai, Barichulai, Bathua, Bayam kadong, Bayam, Bayam, Bilikeere soppu, Bireum, Chantili, Chaulai sag, Chauraiya, Chengkruu, Chorie danga shak, Danta shak, Dantu, Datha, Den canh, Dengo, Dengua-sag, Dengua, Den tia, Driti-damudamu, Een choy, Espinaca, Gai heng, Gotala matala, Gurane, Han ts'oi, Harawi, Hijau, Hinn-choy, Hin-nu-nwe, Hiyuna, Jenso ara, Joseph’s coat, Kayyatota kura, Kpedekpede, Kupei keeray, Kutilis, Lal mat, Lal note, Lal shak, Lal-sag, Lalsak, Lalru, Latte, Marsa, Marshi, Mathla, Moea, Mo tuo qi pu, Notay sag, Notiya sag, Pa hong, Pak hom, Pak khom, Pirum, Ran math, Ranga sak, Rau den tia do, Ronga moricha, Sad amaranth, Salad amaranth, Sanse Xian, Taduljira, Tampala, Telele, Terere, Thandankeerai, Tota kura, Totoe, Tribarvni ščir, W'oa, Yubua, Urai-pula, Xian Cai, Zepina

Synonyms: 

Amaranthus amboinicus Buch.-Ham ex Wall.;
Amaranthus bicolor Nocca ex Willd.;
Amaranthus cuspidatus Vis.;
Amaranthus flexuosus Moq.;
Amaranthus gangeticus L.;
Amaranthus gangeticus var. angustior Bailey;
Amaranthus inamoenus Willd.;
Amaranthus incomptus Willd.;
Amaranthus japonicus Houtt. ex Willd.;
Amaranthus lanceolatus Roxb.;
Amaranthus lancifolius Roxb.;
Amaranthus mangostanus Linnaeus;
Amaranthus melancholius L.;
Amaranthus oleraceus Roxb.;
Amaranthus polygamus L.;
Amaranthus rotundifolius Moq.;
Amaranthus salicifolius H. J. Veitch;
Amaranthus tricolor var. gangeticus (L.) Fiori;
Amaranthus tricolor var. mangostanus (L.) Aellen;
Amaranthus tricolor var. melancholicus (L) Lam.;
Amaranthus tricolor var. tristis (Willd.) Mehrotra, Aswal & Bisht;
Amaranthus tricolor var. tristis (L.) Thell.;
Amaranthus tristis L.;
Amaranthus tristis var. leptostachys Moq.;
Blitum gangeticum Moench;
Blitum melancholicum Moench;
Glomeraria bicolor Cav. ex Moq.;
Glomeraria tricolor (L.) Cav.;