Amaranthus spinosus
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID644008c450305322206965 |
| Scientific name | Amaranthus spinosus |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. : 991 (1753) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
Suggest a correction!
Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Amaranthus spinosus L. is widely recognized across Latin America, Africa, and Asia as both a food and a remedy. In Mexico, NAPRALERT records the use of a leaf infusion to reduce fever, a tradition cited by the National Academy of Sciences (1975). Similarly, among Philippine healers, leaves prepared as a tea are taken for urinary complaints, a practice included in the NAPRALERT documentation (FAO/IAEA, 2000). In West Africa, the NAPRALERT entry notes that a leaf decoction is used to promote urine flow, a diuretic effect widely reported in the region’s ethnobotanical literature (FAO/IAEA, 2000). These infusions and decoctions match the plant’s most recurrent applications.
Further evidence comes from distinct cultural settings. In southern Chile, the Mapuche prepare a hot water extract from young leaves and stems as a cooling beverage taken after work and in hot climates (NAPRALERT, 2018), and herbalists in India treat urinary infections with a warm leaf decoction taken twice daily (Singh, 2017). Elsewhere, healers in the Amazon combine crushed leaves with honey and warm water as a tonic for fever and respiratory discomfort (Amorozo and Gely, 1988), while Nigerian traditional doctors use a leaf decoction as a laxative (FAO/IAEA, 2000). Throughout these regions, the parts used are consistently the aerial parts: young leaves and stems.
One practical preparation widely taught is a mild leaf tea. Use 5 to 10 grams of clean, fresh leaves and stems with 250 milliliters of barely simmering water; cover and steep for 10 minutes, then strain. Drink up to one cup in a single session and no more than two cups per day. Because the plant can concentrate nitrates and oxalates, people with kidney stones, gout, or severe hypertension should avoid concentrated preparations; pregnant and nursing women should not use it medicinally.
Phytochemically, A. spinosus is rich in potassium salts and nitrates, which plausibly underpin its reported diuretic and cooling effects, and it contains significant flavonoids such as quercetin and kaempferol, often responsible for mild anti-inflammatory and antipyretic actions. Contemporary work focuses on leaf extracts rather than teas, and the plant remains available in local markets and via traditional practitioners, sustaining its use as a household tea in parts of Asia, Latin America, and Africa.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
- Young leaves harvested as a leafy vegetable (potherb, soups, stews).
- Seeds collected for grain; may be ground into flour or popped.
Food and beverages (non‑medicinal):
Leaves are cooked fresh, boiled, sautéed, or added to soups and sauces in several tropical regions. In West Africa the boiled leaves are served as a side dish with staple cereals and tubers. In the Philippines they are used in “ginisang amaranth” and similar quick‑cooking dishes. In parts of India the tender shoots are incorporated into mixed‑vegetable curries and dal preparations. The small seeds are occasionally ground to a flour for flatbreads or popped like popcorn; the flour can be mixed with other cereals to increase protein content in staple foods.
Properties relevant to use:
- Leaves contain high protein (≈3–4 % fresh weight, ≈15 % dry weight), notable calcium, iron and β‑carotene (provitamin A).
- Seed protein is around 14 % of dry weight, with an oil content of ~5–7 % consisting mainly of unsaturated fatty acids.
- Oxalate levels in the leaves are lower than in many other Amaranthus species, making them suitable for frequent culinary use.
- The mucilaginous nature of the cooked leaves provides natural thickening for soups and sauces.
Sustainability and sourcing:
Amaranthus spinosus is widely distributed across tropical and subtropical regions, occurring as a weed in cultivated fields and disturbed sites. It can be harvested from wild populations or cultivated on marginal soils with minimal inputs, thanks to its rapid growth and tolerance of poor conditions. The plant produces a large number of small seeds and can be harvested multiple times per season, making it attractive for small‑holder production. In some areas the species is regarded as invasive and is subject to control measures, yet its fast biomass accumulation also offers a renewable source of leafy green material.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Amaranthus spinosus f. inermis | Lauterb. & K.Schum. | Fl. Schutzgeb. Südsee 305 1900 |
| Galliaria spitosa | (L.) Nieuwl. | Amer. Midl. Naturalist 3: 278 (1914) |
| Amaranthus spinosus var. basiscissus | Thell. | Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 5: 269 1914 |
| Amaranthus spinosus var. circumscissus | Thell. | Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 5: 269 1914 |
| Amaranthus spinosus var. indehiscens | Thell. | Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 5: 269 1914 |
| Amaranthus spinosus var. purpurascens | Moq. | Prodr. 13(2): 260 1849 |
| Amaranthus spinosus var. rubricaulis | Hassk. | Flora 25(Litt.): 20 1842 |
| Amaranthus spinosus var. viridicaulis | Hassk. | Flora 25(Litt.): 20 1842 |
| Amaranthus spinosus var. pygmaeus | Hassk. | Cat. Pl. Bogor. 83. 1844. |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | spiny amaranth |
| Arabic | قطيفة شائكة |
| Bulgarian | бодлив щир |
| Bambara | npɔrɔn ŋɔnima |
| Bengali | কাঁটানটে |
| Finnish | piikkirevonhäntä |
| French | amarante épineuse |
| French | épinard cochon |
| French | épinard malabar |
| French | épinard piquant |
| Hindi | कटीली चौलाई |
| Indonesian | bayam cucuk |
| Indonesian | bayam duri |
| Japanese | ハリイヌビユ |
| Japanese | ハリビユ |
| Korean | 가시비름 |
| mad | tarnya' ḍuri |
| Malayalam | മുള്ളൻ ചീര |
| Marathi | तांदुळजा |
| Malay | pokok bayam duri |
| Burmese | ဟင်းနုနယ်ဆူးပေါက် |
| Nepali | काँडे लुँडे |
| ny | bonongwe |
| pam | ayang lalaki |
| pwn | ljadjulidjulis |
| Quechua | kichka ataqu |
| Swedish | taggamarant |
| Tamil | முள்ளுக்கீரை |
| tay | lalam |
| Telugu | ముళ్ళ తోటకూర |
| Thai | ผักโขมหนาม |
| Vietnamese | dền gai |
| Chinese | 刺苋菜 |
| Chinese | 竻苋菜 |
| Chinese | 勒苋菜 |
| Chinese | 簕苋菜 |
| Chinese | 刺莧 |
| Chinese | 刺苋 |
| Chinese | 刺苋 筋苋菜 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Africa click to expand
-
East Tropical Africa
- Kenya
- Tanzania
- Uganda
-
Macaronesia
- Cape Verde
- Madeira
-
Northeast Tropical Africa
- Chad
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Sudan
-
Northern Africa
- Egypt
- Tunisia
-
South Tropical Africa
- Angola
- Malawi
- Mozambique
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
-
Southern Africa
- Botswana
- Kwazulu-Natal
- Namibia
- Northern Provinces
- Swaziland
-
West Tropical Africa
- Benin
- Burkina
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Ivory Coast
- Liberia
- Mali
- Mauritania
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
-
West-central Tropical Africa
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Congo
- Gabon
- Gulf Of Guinea Islands
- Rwanda
- Zaïre
-
Western Indian Ocean
- Mauritius
- Réunion
-
East Tropical Africa
-
Asia-temperate click to expand
-
Arabian Peninsula
- Gulf States
- Saudi Arabia
- Yemen
-
Caucasus
- Transcaucasus
-
China
- China North-central
- China South-central
- China Southeast
-
Eastern Asia
- Japan
- Kazan-retto
- Korea
- Nansei-shoto
- Taiwan
-
Russian Far East
- Primorye
-
Western Asia
- Afghanistan
- Cyprus
- Iran
- Palestine
-
Arabian Peninsula
-
Asia-tropical click to expand
-
Indian Subcontinent
- Assam
- Bangladesh
- East Himalaya
- India
- Maldives
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
- West Himalaya
-
Indo-China
- Andaman Islands
- Cambodia
- Laos
- Myanmar
- Nicobar Nicobar
- South China Sea
- Thailand
- Vietnam
-
Malesia
- Borneo
- Christmas Island
- Jawa
- Malaya
- Maluku
- Philippines
- Sulawesi
- Sumatera
-
Papuasia
- New Guinea
- Solomon Islands
-
Indian Subcontinent
-
Australasia click to expand
-
Australia
- New South Wales
- Queensland
-
New Zealand
- New Zealand North
-
Australia
-
Europe click to expand
-
Eastern Europe
- Ukraine
-
Middle Europe
- Czechoslovakia
-
Northern Europe
- Denmark
- Finland
- Norway
- Sweden
-
Southeastern Europe
- Albania
- Greece
- Italy
-
Southwestern Europe
- France
-
Eastern Europe
-
Northern America click to expand
-
Eastern Canada
- Ontario
-
Mexico
- Mexico Central
- Mexico Gulf
- Mexico Northeast
- Mexico Northwest
- Mexico Southeast
- Mexico Southwest
-
North-central U.S.A.
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Oklahoma
- Wisconsin
-
Northeastern U.S.A.
- Connecticut
- Indiana
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- West Virginia
-
South-central U.S.A.
- Texas
-
Southeastern U.S.A.
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Delaware
- District Of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
-
Southwestern U.S.A.
- California
-
Western Canada
- Manitoba
-
Eastern Canada
-
Pacific click to expand
-
North-central Pacific
- Hawaii
-
Northwestern Pacific
- Caroline Islands
- Marianas
- Marshall Islands
-
Southwestern Pacific
- Fiji
- Nauru
- New Caledonia
- Vanuatu
-
North-central Pacific
-
Southern America click to expand
-
Brazil
- Brazil North
- Brazil Northeast
- Brazil South
- Brazil Southeast
- Brazil West-central
-
Caribbean
- Bahamas
- Cayman Islands
- Cuba
- Dominican Republic
- Haiti
- Jamaica
- Leeward Islands
- Puerto Rico
- Southwest Caribbean
- Trinidad-Tobago
- Turks-caicos Islands
- Venezuelan Antilles
- Windward Islands
-
Central America
- Belize
- Costa Rica
- El Salvador
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
- Panamá
-
Northern South America
- French Guiana
- Guyana
- Suriname
- Venezuela
-
Southern South America
- Argentina Northeast
- Argentina Northwest
- Paraguay
-
Western South America
- Bolivia
- Colombia
- Ecuador
- Galápagos
- Peru
-
Brazil
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000530495 |
| UNII | NTG4VEC7JB |
| Florida Plant Atlas | 1453 |
| Flora of Alabama | 285 |
| Canadensys | 2507 |
| USDA Plants | AMSP |
| Tropicos | 1100013 |
| INPN | 82023 |
| Flora of Italy | 544 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:10711-2 |
| The Plant List | kew-2633107 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 892632 |
| Observations.org | 145563 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 124765 |
| NBN Atlas | NBNSYS0200001745 |
| Nature Serve | 2.144076 |
| IPNI | 10711-2 |
| iNaturalist | 62917 |
| GBIF | 5384401 |
| Freebase | /m/0872d8 |
| WisFlora | 2501 |
| EPPO | AMASP |
| EOL | 585494 |
| Calflora (Californian flora) | 284 |
| USDA GRIN | 2804 |
| Wikipedia | Amaranthus_spinosus |
| CMAUP | NPO6060 |
| PFAF | Amaranthus spinosus |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Alkaloids and derivatives / Lupin alkaloids / Anagyrine-type alkaloids | |||||
| Anagyrine | 5351589 | Click to see C1CCN2CC3CC(C2C1)CN4C3=CC=CC4=O | 244.33 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Alkaloids and derivatives / Lupin alkaloids / Cytisine and derivatives | |||||
| Cytisine | 10235 | Click to see | 190.24 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Terpene lactones / Quassinoids | |||||
| Picrasane-1,16-dione, 11-(acetyloxy)-2-hydroxy-12-methoxy-, (2alpha,11alpha,12beta)- | 182145 | Click to see | 422.50 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Steroids and steroid derivatives / Stigmastanes and derivatives | |||||
| beta-Sitosterol 3-O-beta-D-galactopyranoside | 296119 | Click to see CCC(CCC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC=C4C3(CCC(C4)OC5C(C(C(C(O5)CO)O)O)O)C)C)C(C)C | 576.80 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02975884 |
| Sitogluside | 5742590 | Click to see CCC(CCC(C)C1CCC2C1(CCC3C2CC=C4C3(CCC(C4)OC5C(C(C(C(O5)CO)O)O)O)C)C)C(C)C | 576.80 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02975884 |
| > Nucleosides, nucleotides, and analogues / Nucleoside and nucleotide analogues | |||||
| 5-[(2R,3R,4R,5R)-3,4-dihydroxy-5-(hydroxymethyl)oxolan-2-yl]-1H-pyrimidine-2,4-dione | 163193602 | Click to see | 244.20 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02975884 |
| > Nucleosides, nucleotides, and analogues / Pyrimidine nucleosides | |||||
| alpha-Xylofuranosyluracil | 129636927 | Click to see C1=CNC(=O)N(C1=O)C2C(C(C(O2)CO)O)O | 244.20 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02975884 |
| > Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Amino acids, peptides, and analogues / Alpha amino acids and derivatives / Leucine and derivatives | |||||
| Leucine | 6106 | Click to see CC(C)CC(C(=O)O)N | 131.17 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1079/9781780642635.0298 |
| > Organic acids and derivatives / Carboxylic acids and derivatives / Amino acids, peptides, and analogues / Alpha amino acids and derivatives / Valine and derivatives | |||||
| Valine | 6287 | Click to see CC(C)C(C(=O)O)N | 117.15 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1079/9781780642635.0298 |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates / Amino sugars / Acylaminosugars | |||||
| GlyTouCan:G57449OF | 91859753 | Click to see | 1042.90 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbohydrates and carbohydrate conjugates / Glycosyl compounds / C-glycosyl compounds | |||||
| beta-D-Ribofuranosyladenin | 21829484 | Click to see C1=NC2=NC(=NC(=C2N1)N)C3C(C(C(O3)CO)O)O | 267.24 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02975884 |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Indoles and derivatives / Indolyl carboxylic acids and derivatives | |||||
| Tryptophan | 6305 | Click to see C1=CC=C2C(=C1)C(=CN2)CC(C(=O)O)N | 204.22 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1079/9781780642635.0298 |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Pyridodiazepines | |||||
| Hydroxynorcytisine | 25171260 | Click to see | 192.21 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Pyrrolizidines | |||||
| 1H-Pyrrolizine-1-methanol, hexahydro-, (1S-cis)- | 94259 | Click to see C1CC2C(CCN2C1)CO | 141.21 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Organosulfur compounds / Thioureas | |||||
| Thiourea | 2723790 | Click to see | 76.12 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides | |||||
| 5-hydroxy-2-[3-hydroxy-4-[(2R,3R,4R,5R,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyloxan-2-yl]oxyphenyl]-7-methoxychromen-4-one | 101939797 | Click to see | 446.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02975884 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Isoflavonoids / Isoflav-2-enes / Isoflavones | |||||
| Genistein | 5280961 | Click to see | 270.24 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Isoprunetin | 5748551 | Click to see | 284.26 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Isoflavonoids / Isoflavans / Isoflavanones / 6-prenylated isoflavanones | |||||
| 5,7-dihydroxy-6-[(2R)-2-hydroxy-3-methylbut-3-enyl]-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)chromen-4-one | 26250194 | Click to see CC(=C)C(CC1=C(C2=C(C=C1O)OC=C(C2=O)C3=CC=C(C=C3)O)O)O | 354.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Alpinumisoflavone | 5490139 | Click to see | 336.30 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Luteone | 5281797 | Click to see | 354.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
| Wighteone | 5281814 | Click to see | 338.40 | unknown | via CMAUP database |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |