Amaranthus viridus – Amaranthus spinosus


PLANT NAME: Amaranthus spp.

SIMILARLY USED SPECIES: A. blitus; A. caudatus; A. dubius; A. edulis; A. hibridus; A. hypochondriacus; A. viridus. Please note that for all practical purposes, A. viridus can be used as a substitiute for A. spinosus. A lot easier on the hands, too, as A. viridus has no spines.


COMMON NAMES: Pakai ( Amaranthus spp.), pakai kükü (A. spinosus) [Hawai'i]; zhi xian, tz’u hsien-ts’ai, [China]; tanduliyah [India] ban lunde [Nepal]; amaranth, spiny amaranth (A. spinosus), red cockscomb, love-lies- bleeding, pigweed [USA]; chiori con espinas [Bolivia]; khichka jat’aqo [Quechua]; mullu keerai, neer keerai, tanduliuyah [India]; gansam lodut, surindi [Borneo]; ntungu [Tanzania].

FAMILY: Amaranthaceae.

CATEGORY: Herbs that stop bleeding~.

PROPERTIES: Sweet and bland tasting, astringent, cool.

Plant parts used: Aerial parts

Status: Alien Habitat: Low elevation, disturbed areas.

WESTERN FUNCTIONS REPORTED: Antiemetic; anti-inflammatory; astringent; blood purifier; carminative; diaphoretic; diuretic; emmenagogue; emollient; expectorant; febrifuge; galactogogue; hemostatic; improves digestion; lactogogue; laxative; mucilaginous; promotes appetite; purgative; sudorific.

 TRADITIONAL CHINESE ENERGETIC FUNCTIONS (~ = extrapolated):

  • Clears heat and poison.

  • Improves digestion.

  • Stops bleeding.

PREPARATION OF MEDICINE: Usually decocted or poulticed.

USE AS FOOD: High in protein and calcium. It is used as a food crop by the Aztec Indians of Mexico, as a spinach substitute in Australia, and as a vegetable in China. The seeds can be boiled into a hot cereal. Cook for at least an hour. The young shoots make a very tasty potherb or in salads. While high in calcium, however, amaranth that also contains large amounts of oxalates may actually inhibit calcium absorption [Larsen 2003]. Because it may absorb nitrates from the soil and form oxalate crystals in the leaves, only organic pakai should be used [Elpel 2000].

RANGE: Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Southern Africa. Native to tropical Americas. Accidentally brought into Hawai’i in 1900.

HABITAT: Found in the sun almost everywhere in Hawai’i

GATHERING: Use the young ones… or use gloves. When gathering as food, take the young shoots. Can cause hay fever.

 RESEARCH:

  • The essential oil of Amaranthus spp. lowers cholesterol in hamsters and the seeds of Amaranthus esculantus lowers cholesterol in rats [Berger 2003; Chaturvedi 1993].

  • A. caudatus and A. paniculatus seeds are antioxidant [Klimczak 2002].

TOXICITY: Amaranthus retroflexus (not known to grow in Hawai’i) is reportedly nephrotoxic to large domestic animals [Oladosu 1979], although not to rabbits [Schamber 1985]. In China, the roots are said to be mildly toxic and overdose can cause dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.

CAUTIONS AND CONTRAINDICATIONS: Never treat bleeding without fi rst determining its cause. Not during pregnancy or normal menstruation. Caution with osteoporosis or calcium imbalances~ [Larsen 2003]. See Use As Food below. The genus has been reported to cause dermatitis and photosensitivity. The pollen has been reported to cause keratitis of the eye.

NOTES

  • The family amaranthaceae includes more than 900 species in 60 genera.

  • Most amaranths photosynthesize using a different method than some other plants. Called the “C4 carbon- fi xation pathway,” it is a mechanism best suited for sunny areas.

  • A. spinosus and A. viridus are used almost interchangeably, with A. viridus preferred as it has no spines. • Astringent for the mucous membranes

  • Up to 66% of weed species are said to be edible. While “edible” and “digestible” may not always be the same thing, young A. viridus and A. spinosus are definitely both.