View source for Biology:Amaranthus dubius

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{speciesbox
|image = Starr_040527-9001_Amaranthus_dubius.jpg
|genus = Amaranthus
|species = dubius
|authority = [[Biography:Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius|Mart.]] ex Thell.
}}

'''''Amaranthus dubius''''', the '''red spinach''', '''Chinese spinach''', ({{zh|s=苋菜|t=莧菜|p=xiàncài}}), '''spleen amaranth''', '''hon-toi-moi''', '''yin choy''', '''hsien tsai''', or '''Arai keerai''' ({{lang|ta|அரை கீரை}}) is a plant species. It belongs to the economically important family [[Biology:Amaranthaceae|Amaranthaceae]].

This plant is native to South America, Mexico, and the West Indies, however; it is widely introduced throughout the world. The species occurs locally in France and Germany and is naturalized or invasive in tropical and subtropical regions of the United States (Florida and Hawaii), Africa, Asia, Australia and the Pacific.<ref>CABI, 2019. ''Amaranthus dubius''. [original text by Duilio Iamonico] In: Invasive Species Compendium. Wallingford, UK: CAB International. [https://www.cabi.org/isc www.cabi.org/isc.]</ref>

==Description==
Usually it grows to a size of {{convert|80|–|120|cm}}. It has both green and red varieties, as well as some with mixed colors. The green variety is practically indistinguishable from ''[[Biology:Amaranthus viridis|Amaranthus viridis]]''.

It flowers from summer to fall in the tropics, but can flower throughout the year in subtropical conditions. It is a ruderal species, usually found in waste places or disturbed habitats.

''Amaranthus dubius'' is considered to be a morphologically deviant allopolyploid.  It is very close genetically to ''[[Biology:Amaranthus spinosus|Amaranthus spinosus]]'' and other ''[[Biology:Amaranthus|Amaranthus]]'' species.

==As food==
This species is valued as a leafy vegetable throughout South and Southeast Asia and also in Africa.<ref name="prota">Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (2004) Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA Foundation, Wageningen; Backhuys, Leiden; CTA, Wageningen.</ref> It may be eaten raw in thoran or cooked in curry<ref>[http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2007/04/16/curry-with-fresh-amaranth-thotakura/ Curry with fresh amaranth]</ref> and bhajis.<ref>[http://www.aayisrecipes.com/2006/07/17/red-amaranth-sidedish-tamdi-bhajji-randayi/ Red Amaranth sidedish (Tamdi bhajji randayi)]</ref> In Uganda, it is commonly cooked with onions, tomatoes and peanut sauce.<ref>Goode, P.M. (1989) Edible Plants of Uganda.  Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20081010203149/http://database.prota.org/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?AC=QBE_QUERY&BU=http%3A%2F%2Fdatabase.prota.org%2Fsearch.htm&TN=PROTAB~1&QB0=AND&QF0=Species+Code&QI0=Amaranthus+dubius&RF=Webdisplay PROTAbase on ''Amaranthus dubius'']
* {{PFAF|Amaranthus dubius}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q3238412}}

[[Category:Amaranthus|dubius]]

{{Sourceattribution|Amaranthus dubius}}