Spiny Amaranth

Overview

Spiny amaranth is believed to originate from lowland tropical South and Central America and was introduced into other warmer parts of the world. It often occurs as an invasive weed and is rarely cultivated. This weed has a wide distribution including the United States of America, and all tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and South-East Asia. Spiny amaranth, also known as hogweed, spiny pigweed, spiny carelessweed, or stickerweed, is an erect summer annual that is a member of the pigweed family (Amaranthaceae).

Vernacular Names

Hin-nu-new-subauk (Myanmar), Amarante épineuse (French), Amaranto (Portugese), Mchicha (Swahili), Phak Khom Nam (Thai), Ci xian (Chinese), Dorniger Fuchsschwanz (German), Bledo Espinoso (Spanish), Bayam duri (Indonesian), Uray, Orai (Tagalog).

Agroecology

A. spinosus is found in cultivated fields, waste places, roadsides, garbage heaps and abandoned fields. It will grow both in wet or dry sites, but grows best when soil moisture levels are below field capacity. Waterlogging retards its growth. Maximum growth is obtained on soils that are high in organic matter, loamy in texture and that have sufficient nitrogen. Thorn spinach grows well in places that are enough sunlight with air temperature between 25 - 35 °C.

Morphology

• Roots - taproot. Fibrous that come from a tap root that are sometimes red.
• Stems - terete or obtusely angular, glabrous or slightly pubescent, green or variably suffused with purple.Nodes that can be as long as a quarter of an inch.
• Leaves - glabrous, long-petioled, oblong to oblong ovate, or elliptic-lanceolate, 4 to 10 cm long, obtuse, alternate. Leaves are simple and can be 1 to 2 1/2 inches in length and 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches wide.
• Flowers - very numerous, stalkless, green or greening-white, about 1 mm long, and borne in dense, axillary clusters and in elongated terminal axillary spikes. Sepals are 5 or 1-3, ovate to linear, often aristate. Flower spike in terminal (predominately male) and numerous axillary clusters, chiefly female.
• Fruit - utricles, wrinkled, nearly as long as the sepals.
• Seeds - minute, black and shining.

Cultivation

Propagated by seeds.

Chemical Constituents

Anthraquinone, cardiac glycosides, saponins, flavonoids (diglikosida quercetin 3-0-rutinoside, kaemferol), phenols ( caffeoylquinic acid), betacyanin (amaranthine, isoamaranthine), isobetanin, betanin, alkaloid, hidrocxycinamat, amino acid, tannins, terpenoids. Other chemical compounds spinasterol, hentriakontan, potassium nitrate, calcium oxalate, phosphate salts, iron, and vitamins (A, C, K and pyridoxine (B6), b-sitosterol, stigmasterol, linoleic acid, routine and carotenoids.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

• Leaves, roots, and whole plant are used as a laxative, blood purifier, diuretic, and soporific.
• Studies have suggested antiprotozoal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimalarial, analgesic, antinociceptive activities.
• In the Philippines, decoction of roots has been used for treatment of gonorrhea.
• In the traditional medicine of Taiwan and China, it is used for diabetes.
• In the Gold Coast, enema prepared from the plant is used for piles.
• In China, poultice of seeds is used for broken bones; used internally for bleeding, diarrhea and menorrhagia.
• In Malaya, root decoction is used as diuretic.
• In Nigeria, ashes from burnt plant is used for sores; juice from plant is used as eye wash.
• Bruised leaves is used as emollient; applied externally to ulcerations in the mouth, eczema, burns, wounds, boils, earaches and hemorrhoids.

• The benefits of spinach include: improve kidney function, strengthens hair roots and improve digestion.