From East Asian origin, A. viridis widespread in tropical and subtropical regions of the world and in the upland rice. It is found in well drained soils, in open waste places and cultivated land, especially in volcanic soils. The plant grows best in soils with no standing water and has good development in soils rich in organic matter and nitrogen.  (e.g. in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia).

1. SUBBMITED TO:
Dr. T.U.PATEL
Assistant professor
Dept. of Agronomy.
N.M. College of Agriculture
N.A.U. Navsari -396 450
JOSHI JIGARKUMAR R.
1st semester. M.Sc. (Agri.)
Dept. of Agronomy.
N.M.C.A
N.A.U.Navsari-396 450
SUBBMITED BY:

2.  Amaranthus is from the Greek meaning "not to wither" and
refers to the persistent flower spike.
 About 70 genera and 900 species: worldwide; 15 genera
(one introduced ) and 44 species (three endemic, 14
introduced) in China.
 Common name : Green amaranthus, pig weed
 Botanical name : Amaranthus viridis L.
 Synonymes : Amaranthus gracilis
 Other language -:Tamil: Kuppai keerai, Hindi : Jungali
chaulayi, Bengali : Marissag, Sanskrit: Gandira, Gujarati:
Dhinmado.
 Family: Amaranthaceae
 Chromosome number - 2n = 34

3. Origin and distribution
 From East Asian origin, A. viridis widespread in
tropical and subtropical regions of the world and in
the upland rice. It is found in well drained soils, in
open waste places and cultivated land, especially in
volcanic soils. The plant grows best in soils with no
standing water and has good development in soils rich
in organic matter and nitrogen.
 (e.g. in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia).

4.  Domain: Eukaryota.
 Kingdom: Plantae.
 Subkingdom: Viridaeplantae.
 Phylum: Tracheophyta.
 Subphylum: Euphyllophytina.
 Infraphylum: Radiatopses.
 Class: Spermatopsida.
 Subclass: Caryophyllidae.
 Superorder: Caryophyllanae.
 Order: Caryophyllales.
 Suborder: Chenopodiineae.
 Family: Amaranthaceae.
 Subfamily: Amaranthoideae.
 Tribe: Amarantheae.
 Genus: Amaranthus.
 Specific epithet: viridis

5.  Habitat: Common wastelands weed and along
bunds in cultivated lands.
 Habit: The plant is a perennial with long
prostrate or ascending branches and HT main
stem growing to a height of 30-60cm.
 Stem : Stem is striate, ground and
softely wooly tomentose.
 Roots: Taproot

6.  Leaf : Leaves are simple, alternate, Pale green, Soft,
shortly stalked, sub-orbicular or obovate with an
obtuse tip. The upper surface of the leaf is pubescent
while the lower one is densely hairy. The leaves on
the side branches are much reduced.
Petiole - 10-50mm long.
Blade- Egg shaped to oblong. Prominent white veins
on the underside. 20-80 x 8-60mm.

7.  Inflorescence and flower :A spike Dense, slender, soft,
green or brown spikes in a loose branched form at ends of
branches. Axillary spikes up to 130 mm long. Terminal
spike usually 40-70 mm long and 5 mm diameter and
often with a red tinge. May be discontinuous near the
base and spread into a loose panicle near the top.
 Flower is very small,
sessile, Greenish white&
bisexual . Separate male
and female flowers on the
same plant. Female
flowers more numerous
than the male flowers

8.  Ovary - is superior one celled, with one pendulous ovule.
Perianth - Green, 3 segments with an acute tip but not
sharply pointed. Oblong to egg or spoon shaped. 1.5-2
mm long
Stamens - 3-5. No staminodes.
Anthers - 2 celled.
 Flowering, pollination and fruit set : The flowers are
monoceious and the pollinated by wind, self. The plant is
self-fertile.
 Fruit: fruit capsules are 1-2 mm long, wrinkled, small and
brown. The fruit contains smooth and glossy. (not
opening to release seed when ripe )

9.  Seed : Seed is lenticular, smooth, black or brown, shiny,
slightly compressed & 1.25 mm in diameter.
 Seed type :monocot.
 Propagation: By seeds.
 Seed dispersal: The plant can produce 7000 seeds
which are dispersed by the water or wind.
 Life cycle : It is in leaf stage in April. It is in flowering
from July to September and the seeds ripen from
August to October.

10.  Seed dormancy and germination : Primary dormancy in
Amaranthus plays a fundamental role in extending
germination over a longer period, so that the probability of
seedling survival is maximized. Germination is usually
rapid and good, if the soil is warm. pH min:6.1 to max:7.8.
A drop in temperature overnight aids germination. A
temperature of 30°C was the optimum for germination.
Germination of slender. amaranth seed at 21 days was
similar with 35/25, 35/20, 30/25, and 30/20°C alternating
temperature regimes. As temperatures in alternating
regimes increased, time to onset of germination decreased
and rate of germination increased. Slender amaranth
germination was greater with acidic than with basic pH
conditions. Germination declined with increasing water
stress and was completely inhibited at water potentials
below -0.6 MPa. Slender amaranth emergence was greatest
at depths of 0.5 to 2 cm, but some seeds emerged from as
deep as 6 cm

11.  Seed storage and burial: The seeds of weedy amaranths
have remarkably long viability; some have germinated
after 40 years.
 Effect on crop : It is considered as one of the most
harmful weeds which may d to heavy losses in crop
yield. Its weedy status is more important 'than its
culinary value. In Bangladesh, an yield reduction up to
80% was observed. Green and redroot pigweed are two
of the most important weed species in Ontario
(Weaver, 1984). pigweed emerging several weeks after
crop emergence causes crop yield losses of less than
5%; this usually is tolerable to farmers and dose not
reduse profit.

12. • Boggabri weed (Amaranthus mitchellii)
• Dwarf Amaranth (Amaranthus macrocarpus)
• Foxtail (Amaranthus paniculatus)
• Love lies bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus)
• Native Amaranth (Amaranthus interruptus)
• Needleburr (Amaranthus spinosus)
• Powell's Amaranth (Amaranthus powellii)
• Redroot Amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus)
• Redshank (Amaranthus cruentus)
• Rough fruited Amaranth (Amaranthus muricatus)
• Slim Amaranth (Amaranthus hybridus)
• Spreading Amaranth (Amaranthus deflexus)
• South American Amaranth (Amaranthus quitensis)
• Tumble-weed (Amaranthus albus).

13. Cultural:
 Cultivation favours A. viridis emergence, and is a useful
means of killing seedlings before sowing rice.
Biological:
 A weevil, Hypolixus trunculatus whose larve tunnel in the
stems and form galls and feeds on A. viridis.
 The caterpillars of Hymenia recurvalis in large number
defoliate the weed and, where infestation is severe,
practically every plant is infested.
Chemical:
 pre-emergence applied Butachlor at 2.0 to 2.5 kg ha-1 gives
excellent control.
 Post-emergence application of 2_4-D at 500 g/ha.

14. Edible purpose:
 The Leaves are edible for Eaten as vegetable.
 Leaves contain rich in calcium & iron. The plant is a good source
of vitamins B and C & excellent source of protein.
Medicinal purpose:
 In India, stem used as antidote for snake bites. Leaves used for
scorpion stings. Traditionally used for constipation,
inflammation, eczema, bronchitis, anemia and leprosy.
 In Nepal, infusion of powdered seeds of flower used for stomach
problems. Seeds also used in pregnant women to lessen labor
pains.
 in Indonesia diarrhea and dysentery, diabetes and externally as
a cooling agent to treat fever.

15. Plant
part
Alk Mus Ant
h
Cao Sap Tan Sta Fat Pro Lig Cut Cel
Flower + - - - + - + + + - - +
Leaf + - - - + - + + + - + +
Stem + + + + + - + + + + + +
Root + - + - + - + + + + - +
Positive test: + Negative test: -
Alk: Alkaloids; Sap: Saponins; Sta: Starch; Prp: Protein; Cel: Cellulose; Muc:
Mucilage; Cao: Calcium oxalate; Anth: Anthraquinon derivatives, Lig: Lignin.

16.  K. vanngamudi, M. bhaskaran, S. balavidya, P.
murali.2013. Weed Seed Biology. India
ISBN:978-81-7233-827-5.
 Khan M, Mushrof S, Lbrar M, Hussain F.2010.Researh
in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology(vol-3)Dept. of
Botany. University of Peshawar, Pakistan.
 Nayyar M. M., Ashiq M., Ahmad J. 2001. Manual on
Punjab weeds (Part I). Directorate of Agronomy. Ayub
Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad Pakistan.