Amaranthus graecizans aka Mediterranean Amaranth

Amaranthus graecizans belongs to the amaranth family. It is an annual plant, which lives for one year. People call it spreading pigweed or Mediterranean amaranth. Kew gives its native range as Chad to the Indian subcontinent. It grows in regions that have a dry season. Other sources report it in Africa, southern Europe, and Asia. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

Most plants reach about 1.6 feet [0.5 metres] tall. Useful Tropical Plants reports some reach 4.9 feet [1.5 metres]. Stems trail on the ground or rise from a low base. Plants often have many branches close to the ground. Plants For A Future records leaves from May to October. Each plant has both male and female flowers, in separate blooms. Wind moves the pollen. Plants can also use their own pollen to form seeds.

Give this plant a warm, sheltered spot in full sun. Useful Tropical Plants says it can take some shade too. It prefers rich soil that drains well but stays moist. It can grow in poor soil as well. Sand, loam, and clay soils all suit it. Soil can be slightly acid, neutral, or slightly alkaline. Frost can harm it. Plant it out once the risk of frost has passed. Sow seeds outdoors in late spring, or start them under glass. Warm soil helps seeds sprout. Cool nights can help them sprout too.

It grows on farmed land and waste ground. It also grows on sandy flats that flood in some seasons. People gather leaves and seeds from plants in the wild. In eastern Africa, growers raise it as a leaf crop too. Start picking leaves four to five weeks after sowing. Pick one leaf at a time for more than one harvest. You can also take the whole plant at once. Insects that chew leaves can cause problems. The whole plant can yield yellow and green dyes.

Cook the mild leaves to use in place of spinach. Serve them with greens that have a stronger taste. Eat the small seeds raw or cooked. They have starch and can take the place of cereals. Whole seeds turn jelly-like when cooked. Some may pass through the gut without being digested. The sources warn that leaves can build up nitrates in nitrogen-rich soil. They say not to eat plants grown with chemical fertilisers. Plants For A Future lists no known medicinal uses.