Amaranthus viridis - Amaranth, Green pigweed

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Amaranth, Harive soppu

Amaranthus collectively known as amaranth, is a cosmopolitan genus of annual or short-lived perennial plants. Some amaranth species are cultivated as leaf vegetables, pseudocereals, and ornamental plants. Most of the species from Amaranthus are summer annual weeds and are commonly referred to as pigweed. Catkin-like cymes of densely packed flowers grow in summer or autumn.Approximately 60 species are recognized, with inflorescences and foliage ranging from purple and red to green or gold. Members of this genus share many characteristics and uses with members of the closely related genus Celosia.

Uses

cancer, hair loss, eyesight problem, cardiovascular disease, anemia, perspiration problems, cholesterol, digestion.

Parts Used

Root tubers.

Chemical Composition

Atisine, Aconitine, Atisenol, Atidine, Hetisine, Hetisinone, Banzolheteratisine, Histidine, F-dihydroatisine, Heteratisine and Several diterpene alkaloids such aheterophyllin, heterophyllisin, heterophyllidine, and hetidine.

Common names

Language	Common name
Kannada	Mulluharive soppu
Hindi	Kanta chaulai
Malayalam	Kattumullenkeera
Tamil	mullukkeerai
Telugu	mullatotakura
Marathi	NA
Gujarathi	NA
Punjabi	NA
Kashmiri	NA
Sanskrit	Tanduliuyah
English	Needle burr

Habit

Herb

Identification

Leaf

Kind	Shape	Feature
glabrous	sessile	The leaves are variable in shape and size

.

Flower

Type	Size	Color and composition	Stamen	More information
Unisexual	2-4cm long	white–violet	10-18	Flowers are Large, hooded and occur in slender racemes or lax leafy panicles. Corolla is hairy. Carpels are five in number

Fruit

Type	Size	Mass	Appearance	Seeds	More information
	7–10 mm (0.28–0.4 in.) long pome		s		{{{6}}}

List of Ayurvedic medicine in which the herb is used

• Vishatinduka Taila as root juice extract

Mode of Propagation

Seeds, Tuber segment.

How to plant/cultivate

The more common species of Aconitum are generally those cultivated in gardens, especially hybrids. They typically thrive in well-drained evenly moist garden soils like the related hellebores and delphiniums, and can grow in the shade of trees.

Commonly seen growing in areas

western Himalayas, open woodland, moisty soil area.

Photo Gallery

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  Aconitum napellus

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  Trailing white monkshood (A. reclinatum)

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  Southern blue monkshood (A. uncinatum)

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  Wild Alaskan monkshood (A. delphinifolium) is a flowering species that belongs to the family Ranunculaceae. The picture was taken in Kenai National Wildlife Refuge