Plants
purple amaranth
Amaranthus cruentus L.
Family: Amaranthaceae · Genus: Amaranthus
blood amaranth, red amaranth
Highly nutritious annual pseudocereal. Embrapa CT-16 lists it as a fodder species alongside gliricídia. Planted as a second-season crop after summer harvest to build a nutrient-rich straw cover.
Götsch succession
- Götsch stage
- Placenta I
- Ecological role
- Pioneer
- Primary stratum
- High
- Strata
- High, Medium
- Biomass class
- Fertilizer biomass
Environment
- Light requirement
- Full sun
- Water requirement
- Moderate
- Drought tolerance
- High
Morphology
- Mature height
- 1–2.5 m
- Growth rate
- Very fast
- Lifespan
- ≤ 1 year
- Time to first harvest
- 3 months
Biomes & climate
- Atlantic Forest Suitable
- Cerrado Suitable
Köppen classes
- Tropical savanna with dry winter (Aw) Suitable
- Subtropical with dry winter (Cwa) Suitable
- Humid subtropical (Cfa) Suitable
Where it fits in a guild
Purple amaranth takes the High stratum in the Placenta I phase of succession — in a guild it shares the line with species from the other strata, each harvesting light at its own height, in its own time.
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❓ Frequently asked questions
How long until the first harvest of purple amaranth?
The first harvest of purple amaranth comes around 3 months after planting.
How tall does purple amaranth grow?
At maturity, purple amaranth reaches 1–2.5 m tall.
What stage and stratum does purple amaranth occupy in a syntropic system?
In a syntropic system, purple amaranth belongs to the placenta i stage, occupying the high stratum.
Functions
Propagation
Seed
Citations
- Armando, Bueno, Alves & Cavalcante (2002) — Agrofloresta para Agricultura Familiar (Embrapa Circular Técnica 16), Tabela 1 , p. 3 (gotsch_stage, biomass_class)
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Amaranthus cruentus L. (gbif_taxon_key, family, genus)
- Plants of the World Online (Kew) — Amaranthus cruentus L. (powo_id)
External references
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