Stats

Lifespan: Annual
Size: Large
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Tropical grassland
Range: Central America
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Warning Colors
Status: Uncommon

About

Red amaranth is a tall annual herb grown for both its dramatic crimson flower plumes and its nutritious grain seeds, which have been a Mesoamerican staple for over 6,000 years. Its seed heads can tower up to 2 metres and contain thousands of tiny protein-rich seeds.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Genus: Amaranthus
Species: Amaranthus cruentus