Amaranthus blitoides

2. Amaranthus blitoides S. Watson (N-Am.) – A rather rare and probably decreasing, often ephemeral alien. Apparently first documented from Tournai in 1886 (without further details). A more or less continous series of records only started in 1948 when it was found in coastal dunes in Koksijde. Formerly introduced with wool (but only in the 1950’s). Nowadays perhaps mostly associated with grain and building materials (gravel, sand,…). Usually found by road verges, on wasteland or on dumps.

Amaranthus blitoides is known at least since the 1940’s from ruderalised coastal habitats between Adinkerke and Koksijde and believed to be locally naturalised (Verloove 2002).

Herbarium specimen

Amaranthus blitoides

Amaranthus blitoides, De Panne, Krakeelduinen-Duinhoek, bare sandy ground, September 2011, G. Warreyn Amaranthus blitoides, De Panne, Krakeelduinen-Duinhoek, bare sandy ground, September 2011, G. Warreyn

 


Selected literature:

Easy G.M.S. (1979) Amaranthus species in Cambridgeshire. A preliminary examination. BSBI News 22: 17-20.

Florusse P. (1985) De nerfamarant (Amaranthus blitoides S. Watson) in Rotterdam. Gorteria 12: 243.

Kloos A.W. Jr. (1949) Dix espèces d’Amaranthus nouvelles pour la flore belge. Bull. Jard. Bot. Etat Brux. 19: 243-250.

Marquardt F. (1966) Amaranthus blitoides S. Wats., Westamerikanischer Fuchsschwanz in und um Darmstadt. Hessische Floristische Briefe 15: 11-13.

Spadaro V. & Raimondo F.M. (2002) Amaranthus blitoides (Amaranthaceae, Magnoliophyta) avventizia in Sicilia. Quad. Bot. Ambient. Appl. 13: 11-12.

Van der Ham R.W.J.M. (1982) De nerfamarant (Amaranthus blitoides S. Wats.) in Nederland. Gorteria 11: 86-88.

Verloove F. (2002) Ingeburgerde plantensoorten in Vlaanderen. Mededeling van het Instituut voor Natuurbehoud n° 20: 227 p.

Verloove F. (2006) Amaranthus blitoides. In: Van Landuyt W., Hoste I., Vanhecke L., Van den Bremt P., Vercruysse W. & De Beer D., Atlas van de flora van Vlaanderen en het Brussels gewest. Instituut voor Natuur- en Bosonderzoek, Nationale Plantentuin van België en Flo.Wer: 130.

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith