Amaranthus caudatus

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For the mountain in Peru named Kiwicha, see Kiwicha (Peru).
3836 - Amaranthus caudatus (Zieramaranth).JPG
Amaranthus caudatus growing in the Botanical Garden, Bremen
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Genus: Amaranthus
Binomial name
Amaranthus caudatus


Many parts of the plants, including the leaves and seeds, are edible, and are frequently used as a source of food in India and South America – where it is the most important Andean species of Amaranthus, known as kiwicha. (see also Amaranth seed and Andean ancient plants) This species, as with many other of the amaranths, are originally from the American tropics. The exact origin is unknown, as A. caudatus is believed to be a wild Amaranthus hybridus aggregate.

The red color of the inflorescences is due to a high content of betacyanins, as in the related species known as "Hopi red dye" amaranth. Ornamental garden varieties sold under the latter name are either Amaranthus cruentus or a hybrid between A. cruentus and A. powelli. In indigenous agriculture, A. cruentus is the Central American counterpart to South American A. caudatus.





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