Species Detail Forb

Flowers		Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants Amaranthus blitoides - mat amaranth Synonyms: Amaranthus graecizans Other Common Names: prostrate pigweed Plant Form: Forb or Subshrub Family: Amaranthaceae
Flowers


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Leaves Max Licher @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)	Ligule and involute blade Max Licher @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA)

Forb Plant Description

Origin: Introduced Life Cycle: Annual
General Desc: Herbaceous weedy annual with stems up to 2 feet long, branched from the base and mostly prostrate.
Identification notes: Female flowers of 4 to 5 tepals and intermixed with male flower of 3 to 4 tepals; inflorescences in axillary clusters, sometimes in terminal leafy spikes; leaf blades usually obovate to elliptic-spatulate; fruits open horizontally.
Height: Prostrate, 2 foot spread

Habitat

Habitat Description: In the arid west, usually occur in wetlands, but may occur in non-wetlands. Grows in disturbed areas, even in cracks of sidewalks.
Plant Communities: Riparian, Disturbed Areas
Elevation: Below 7200 feet

Flower Characteristics

Color: Light green Shape: Inconspicuous in round clusters Tubular: N Flowering Period: Jun - Sep
Description: Short clusters of light green flowers develop from the axils of the leaves sometimes appear as terminal spikes.

Leaf and Stem Characteristics

Leaf Color: Dark green Leaf Type: Simple Leaf Shape: Round or oval Leaf Margin: Smooth Leaf Attachment: Alternate Leaves Clasp: N
Hairs: No Spines: N
Leaf Description: Leaves are up to 1 inch long and taper to a slender petiole. Stems vary in color from whitish-green to pale red. Mostly without hairs.

Fruit and Seed Characteristics

Fruit Color: Black or brown
Fruit Type: Capsule
Fruit Notes: The fruit is a bladder-like capsule that splits open to release a single seed.
Seed Notes: Tiny seeds are less than 1/16 inch across; they are dark brown or black, shiny, round in circumference, and somewhat flattened. Seeds can remain viable in the ground for at least ten years.


	Arizona Cooperative Extension Yavapai County 840 Rodeo Dr #C Prescott, AZ 86305 (928) 445-6590	Version 8.0 http://cales.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/SpeciesDetailForb.php Last Updated: Dec 13, 2022 Content Questions/Comments: Email Matt Halldorson Legal Disclaimer