Amaranthus fimbriatus

(Torrey) Bentham ex S. Watson in W. H. Brewer et al.

in W. H. Brewer et al., Bot. California 2: 42. 1880.

Common names: Fringed amaranth
WeedyIllustrated
Basionym: Sarratia berlandieri var. fimbriata Torrey in W. H. Emory, Rep. U.S. Mex. Bound. 2(1): 179. 1859
Synonyms: Amaranthus fimbriatus var. denticulatus (Torrey) Uline & W. L. Bray
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 4. Mentioned on page 428.

Plants glabrous. Stems erect or with lateral branches ascending, usually branched from base, main and lateral stems sparingly branched or simple, 0.3–0.7 (–1) m. Leaves short-petiolate; petiole 1/4–1/2 as long as blade; blade linear to narrowly lanceolate, (1–) 2–6 (–10) × 0.1–0.5 (–1) cm, base narrowly cuneate, margins entire, plane, apex acute to mucronulate. Inflorescences mostly axillary clusters scattered from base to apex of plants, distally condensed in lax, unbranched, almost leafless, slender, terminal spikes, interrupted. Bracts of pistillate flowers ovate to ovatelanceolate, 1–1.8 mm, shorter than tepals, about 1/2 or less as long as tepals. Pistillate flowers: tepals 5, reflexed, fan-shaped to broadly spatulate, clawed, equal or subequal, 1.5–3.3 mm, margins fimbriate or denticulate, apex much expanded and obtuse; style-branches erect to ± spreading; stigmas 3 (–4). Staminate flowers: tepals 5, apex obtuse; stamens (2–) 3. Utricles subglobose to obovate, 1.2–2 mm, shorter than tepals, rugose to nearly smooth, dehiscence regularly circumscissile. Seeds black or dark reddish-brown, lenticular to broadly lenticular, 0.8–1 mm diam., shiny, smooth. 2n = 34.


Phenology: Flowering summer–fall (in arid regions mostly after summer rains).
Habitat: Sandy, gravelly slopes, washes, semideserts, disturbed habitats
Elevation: 500-1700 m

Distribution

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Ariz., Calif., N.Mex., Tex., Utah, n Mexico

Discussion

Two varieties of Amaranthus fimbriatus have been recognized: var. fimbriatus, with tepals fimbriate at the apex, and var. denticulatus (= A. venulosus S. Watson), with denticulate or crenulate tepals. The latter is reported from Arizona and adjacent northern Mexico; it probably occurs more widely.

A related species, Amaranthus chihuahuensis S. Watson, which occurs in Mexico (Chihuahua and Oaxaca), was reported from trans-Pecos Texas, but no reliable specimens were seen by C. F. Reed (1969b). The presence of that species in the United States needs confirmation, and its taxonomic identity remains obscure.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Amaranthus fimbriatus"
obtuse;obtuse;acute;mucronulate +
expanded +
Sergei L. Mosyakin +  and Kenneth R. Robertson +
- Torrey Bentham ex S. Watson in W. H. Brewer et al. +
cuneate +
Sarratia berlandieri var. fimbriata +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> - 10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> - 1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> - 6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> +
linear +  and narrowly lanceolate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> - 0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> +
persistent +
less +  and 1/2 +
ovate +  and ovatelanceolate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> - 0.18 cm1.8 mm <br />0.0018 m <br /> +
Fringed amaranth +
Ariz. +, Calif. +, N.Mex. +, Tex. +, Utah +  and n Mexico +
500-1700 m +
peripheral +
staminate +  and pistillate +
hypogynous +
minute +  and small +
not +  and dehiscent +
Sandy, gravelly slopes, washes, semideserts, disturbed habitats +
interrupted +  and condensed +
scattered +  and cluster +
short-petiolate +
reduced +
simple +  and branched +
70 cm700 mm <br />0.7 m <br /> - 100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br /> +
30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br /> - 70 cm700 mm <br />0.7 m <br /> +
denticulate +, fimbriate +  and plane +
scarious +  and membranaceous +
cylindric +
1/4 +  and 1/2 +
Flowering summer–fall - in arid regions mostly after summer rains. +
rudimentary +
in W. H. Brewer et al., Bot. California +
dark reddish-brown +  and black +
0.8mm;1mm +
lenticular +  and broadly lenticular +
Weedy +  and Illustrated +
cylindric +
prostrate +  and decumbent +
with lateral branches +  and erect +
not fleshy +
slender +
erect +  and more or less spreading +
0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br /> - 0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> +
Amaranthus fimbriatus var. denticulatus +
Amaranthus fimbriatus +
Amaranthus subg. Amaranthus +
species +
distinct +
clawed +, fan-shaped +  and broadly spatulate +
subequal +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> - 0.33 cm3.3 mm <br />0.0033 m <br /> +
indurate +, membranaceous +, chartaceous +  and scarious +
leafless +  and unbranched +
walled +  and 3 - -5-veined +
circumscissile +
rugose +  and nearly smooth +
subglobose +  and obovate +
0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br /> - 0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> +
membranaceous +