Data sources

Each value Trefle shows for Amaranthus cruentus, with what every source says about it. When sources disagree, the strongest source is shown (how sources are ranked). Values imported before sources were recorded one by one are marked Source not recorded.

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Sourced25 Source not recorded9 Not on the record1 Sources: TRY Plant Trait Database, Earlier Trefle data

Field	Shown	What the sources say
Core
Author	L.	No source recorded	Source not recorded
Bibliography	Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 1269 (1759)	No source recorded	Source not recorded
Phylum	Tracheophyta	No source recorded	Source not recorded
Rank	species	No source recorded	Source not recorded
Status	accepted	No source recorded	Source not recorded
Year	1759	No source recorded	Source not recorded
Descriptive
Common name	Indian-spinach	No source recorded	Source not recorded
Observations	C. Mexico to Nicaragua	No source recorded	Source not recorded
Morphology
Average height	55 cm	55 cm · TRY Plant Trait Database · Measured · 3 observations · 2026-10-09 TRY 7.0 datasets 251, 500, 882, 918	Sourced
Biological type	therophyte	therophyte · TRY Plant Trait Database · Measured · 5 observations · 2026-10-09 TRY 7.0 datasets 4, 350, 500, 918	Sourced
Flower color	green	green · TRY Plant Trait Database · Measured · 5 observations · 2026-10-20 TRY 7.0 datasets 4, 350 1 earlier or rejected value Superseded green · TRY Plant Trait Database · Measured · 5 observations · 2026-10-09 TRY 7.0 datasets 4, 350	Sourced
Flower conspicuous	true	true · Earlier Trefle data · Reported · 2026-10-19 value present before provenance tracking (2022 import), no source recorded	Sourced
Foliage texture	medium	medium · TRY Plant Trait Database · Measured · 2 observations · 2026-10-20 TRY 7.0 datasets 4 1 earlier or rejected value Superseded medium · TRY Plant Trait Database · Measured · 2 observations · 2026-10-09 TRY 7.0 datasets 4	Sourced
Fruit conspicuous	false	No source recorded	Source not recorded
Fruit shape	capsule	capsule · TRY Plant Trait Database · Measured · 3 observations · 2026-10-20 TRY 7.0 datasets 4, 350, 882 1 earlier or rejected value Superseded capsule · TRY Plant Trait Database · Measured · 3 observations · 2026-10-09 TRY 7.0 datasets 4, 350, 882	Sourced
Growth habit	Forb/herb	Forb/herb · Earlier Trefle data · Reported · 2026-10-19 value present before provenance tracking (2022 import), no source recorded	Sourced
Growth rate	Rapid	Rapid · Earlier Trefle data · Reported · 2026-10-19 value present before provenance tracking (2022 import), no source recorded	Sourced
Maximum height	empty	100 cm · TRY Plant Trait Database · Measured · 1 observation · 2026-10-09 TRY 7.0 datasets 251, 500, 882, 918	Not on the record
Sexuality	monoecious	monoecious · TRY Plant Trait Database · Measured · 5 observations · 2026-10-20 TRY 7.0 datasets 4, 365 1 earlier or rejected value Superseded monoecious · TRY Plant Trait Database · Measured · 5 observations · 2026-10-09 TRY 7.0 datasets 4, 365	Sourced
Vegetable	true	true · Earlier Trefle data · Reported · 2026-10-19 value present before provenance tracking (2022 import), no source recorded	Sourced
Phenology
Bloom months	jul	jul · TRY Plant Trait Database · Measured · 2 observations · 2026-10-20 TRY 7.0 datasets 4 1 earlier or rejected value Superseded jul · TRY Plant Trait Database · Measured · 2 observations · 2026-10-09 TRY 7.0 datasets 4	Sourced
Duration	annual	annual · TRY Plant Trait Database · Measured · 10 observations · 2026-10-09 TRY 7.0 datasets 4, 110, 882, 918	Sourced
Ecology
Atmospheric humidity	3 / 9 · rather dry air	3 / 9 · rather dry air · Earlier Trefle data · Reported · 2026-10-19 value present before provenance tracking (2022 import), no source recorded	Sourced
Ground humidity	3 / 12 · rather dry (xerophilous)	3 / 12 · rather dry (xerophilous) · Earlier Trefle data · Reported · 2026-10-19 value present before provenance tracking (2022 import), no source recorded	Sourced
Light	8 / 9 · light	8 / 9 · light · Earlier Trefle data · Reported · 2026-10-19 value present before provenance tracking (2022 import), no source recorded	Sourced
Nitrogen fixation	None	None · TRY Plant Trait Database · Measured · 4 observations · 2026-10-20 TRY 7.0 datasets 71, 110, 444 1 earlier or rejected value Superseded None · TRY Plant Trait Database · Measured · 4 observations · 2026-10-09 TRY 7.0 datasets 71, 110, 444	Sourced
Ph maximum	pH 9	pH 9 · Earlier Trefle data · Inferred · 2026-10-19 value present before provenance tracking (2022 import), no source recorded derived from a Baseflor soil reaction class by the 2022 import, a class not a measurement	Sourced
Ph minimum	pH 8	pH 8 · Earlier Trefle data · Inferred · 2026-10-19 value present before provenance tracking (2022 import), no source recorded derived from a Baseflor soil reaction class by the 2022 import, a class not a measurement	Sourced
Soil nutriments	8 / 9 · very rich (pereutrophic)	8 / 9 · very rich (pereutrophic) · Earlier Trefle data · Reported · 2026-10-19 value present before provenance tracking (2022 import), no source recorded	Sourced
Soil salinity	0 / 9 · absent from saline soils	0 / 9 · absent from saline soils · Earlier Trefle data · Reported · 2026-10-19 value present before provenance tracking (2022 import), no source recorded	Sourced
Cultivation
Planting days to harvest	75	75 · Earlier Trefle data · Reported · 2026-10-19 value present before provenance tracking (2022 import), no source recorded	Sourced
Planting description	Vegetable amaranth is usually grown commercially as a sole crop on beds. It is also found in intercropping systems with food crops and in home gardens. There are 2500–3500 seeds/g. The common cultivation practice is sowing in a nursery at a seed rate of 3–10 g/m2 and transplanting after 2–3 weeks. In this way the grower gets 1000–1500 plantlets per m2 for transplanting. A plant density of up to 180 plants/m2 is often practised for harvesting by uprooting or once-over cutting and gives the highest yield. Higher densities result in self-thinning without yield increase. Field experiments in several countries have shown the advantage of a wider spacing, with about 100 plants/m2, the yield being only slightly lower but the labour requirement for transplanting much lower. During the rainy season very dense planting is applied as a buffer to compensate for heavy plant losses caused by Choanephora stem rot. For repeated cuttings a density of about 20 plants/m2 is appropriate. It is also possible to sow directly, either broadcast or in rows with at least 20 cm between the rows, with a seed rate of 2–5 g/m2. Direct sowing is the common practice in Nigeria, Uganda and in western Kenya. The plants are uprooted after 3–5 weeks. The main advantage is the lower labour costs; however, this method requires more seed, weed competition is more severe and the yield much lower. At harvest, some vigorous plants are left for seed production. For commercial seed production, a distance of 200 m from other Amaranthus cruentus fields is recommended and weedy Amaranthus cruentus or Amaranthus hybridus plants should be removed to avoid outcrossing or mixtures. Grain amaranths are sown directly and thinned to a spacing of not more than 10 plants/m2..	Vegetable amaranth is usually grown commercially as a sole crop on beds. It is also found in intercropping systems with food crops and in home gardens. There are 2500–3500 seeds/g. The common cultivation practice is sowing in a nursery at a seed rate of 3–10 g/m2 and transplanting after 2–3 weeks. In this way the grower gets 1000–1500 plantlets per m2 for transplanting. A plant density of up to 180 plants/m2 is often practised for harvesting by uprooting or once-over cutting and gives the highest yield. Higher densities result in self-thinning without yield increase. Field experiments in several countries have shown the advantage of a wider spacing, with about 100 plants/m2, the yield being only slightly lower but the labour requirement for transplanting much lower. During the rainy season very dense planting is applied as a buffer to compensate for heavy plant losses caused by Choanephora stem rot. For repeated cuttings a density of about 20 plants/m2 is appropriate. It is also possible to sow directly, either broadcast or in rows with at least 20 cm between the rows, with a seed rate of 2–5 g/m2. Direct sowing is the common practice in Nigeria, Uganda and in western Kenya. The plants are uprooted after 3–5 weeks. The main advantage is the lower labour costs; however, this method requires more seed, weed competition is more severe and the yield much lower. At harvest, some vigorous plants are left for seed production. For commercial seed production, a distance of 200 m from other Amaranthus cruentus fields is recommended and weedy Amaranthus cruentus or Amaranthus hybridus plants should be removed to avoid outcrossing or mixtures. Grain amaranths are sown directly and thinned to a spacing of not more than 10 plants/m2.. · Earlier Trefle data · Reported · 2026-10-19 value present before provenance tracking (2022 import), no source recorded	Sourced
Planting row spacing	20 cm	20 cm · Earlier Trefle data · Reported · 2026-10-19 value present before provenance tracking (2022 import), no source recorded	Sourced
Planting sowing description	Direct seed, thin seedlings to 15cm	Direct seed, thin seedlings to 15cm · Earlier Trefle data · Reported · 2026-10-19 value present before provenance tracking (2022 import), no source recorded	Sourced
Planting spread	90 cm	90 cm · Earlier Trefle data · Reported · 2026-10-19 value present before provenance tracking (2022 import), no source recorded	Sourced

Amaranthus cruentus L., 1759 54% complete

Indian-spinach

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Data sources