Palmer Amaranth, Amaranthus palmeri
Family: Amaranthaceae; Pigweed Family
Vegetative Characteristics:
Seedling: hypocotyl red to green, glabrous to softly pubescent; cotyledons green, glabrous.
Stems: erect, branched, 0.5-2.0 m tall, may be red, glabrous or pubescent
Leaves: alternate, 3.0-10.0 cm long, egg-shaped, veins prominent beneath, long-petioled.
Reproductive Characteristics:
Inflorescences: terminal spike to 0.5 m long, lateral spikes few to none, much shorter if present; dioecious; male bracts thin, 3.0-4.0 mm long, triangular; female bracts subulate, 3.0-6.0 mm long, thick, stiff; male sepals 5, 2.0-3.0 mm long, ovate-lanceolate; female sepals 5, 3.0-4.0 mm long, minutely pointed on tip, obovate, spatulate.
Fruits: utricle, subglobose, 1.5 mm long, circumscissile dehiscent
Seeds: dark reddish brown, lenticular, 1.0-1.3 mm diameter, numerous per spike
Special Identifying Features
⇒ Erect, branched summer annual; plants dioecious, unbranched terminal inflorescence to 0.5 m long.
- Adult Female
- Seedling
- Adults
- Young Plant
- Seeds
- Young Plant
- Leaf Tip
- Leaf and Petiole
- Adult Female
- Adult Male
