Amaranthoideae

Achyranthes splendens, Cladus Achyranthoids

The Amaranthoideae are a subfamily of the family of Amaranthaceae ( Amaranthaceae ).

Description

The Amaranthoideae differ from the subfamily Gomphrenoideae by dust bag with two counters and four pollen sacs.

Dissemination

The focus of the distribution is in tropical America, in tropical and southern Africa and Australia.

System

Previously belonged to the subfamily about 57 genera and about 330 species. The subfamily was found to be polyphyletic, including her recent subdivisions ( tribes Amarantheae Rchb. Using the two subtribe Amaranthinae and Aervinae ) correspond to the tribe Celosiae not real kinship lines. Therefore, taxonomic reclassifications are done here yet. Müller & Borsch (2005) distinguish several clades:

• " Basal group ": Bosea L.: The approximately three species occur on the Macaronesian Islands, Cyprus and the Western Himalayas: Bosea amherstiana ( Moq. ) Hook.f.
• Bosea cypria Boiss. ex Hook.f.
• Bosea yervamora L.

• Amaranth ( Amaranthus L., Syn: Acnida L., Amblogyna Raf. ): With about 60 species, including those outside of the tropics in temperate latitudes.
• Chamissoa Kunth: With about seven to 24 species in Central and South America.

• Celosia ( Celosia L.): With about 45 to 60 species.
• Deeringia R.Br. ( Syn: Cladostachys D.Don, Dendroportulaca Eggli ): With about seven to eleven species.
• . Henonia Moq, with the only kind: Henonia scoparia Moq.

• Pleuropetalum darwinii Hook. f
• Pleuropetalum pleiogynum ( Kuntze ) Standlschmaus.
• Pleuropetalum sprucei ( Hook.f. ) Standlschmaus.

• Aerva Forssk. With about ten species.
• Nothosaerva Wight, with the only kind: Nothosaerva brachiata (L.) Wight

• Achyranthes L.: With about 15 species, for example: Achyranthes atollensis St.John
• Achyranthes mutica A.Gray

• Nototrichium divaricatum Lorence
• Nototrichium humile Hillebr.
• Nototrichium sandwicense Hillebr.

• Calicorema capitata ( Moq. ) Hook.f.
• Calicorema squarrosa ( Schinz ) Schinz

• Pupalia lappacea (L.) Juss.
• Pupalia micrantha Hauman

• Sericostachys scandens Gilg & Lopr.
• Sericostachys tomentosa Lopr.

• Many species have not yet been examined for their assignment: Achyropsis ( Moq. ) Hook.f.
• Allmania R.Br. ex Wight, with only one type: Allmania nodiflora (L.) R.Brown ex Wight: They occur in tropical Asia.

• Arthraerua leubnitziae ( Kuntze ) Schinz

• Centema angolensis Hook.f.
• Centema cruciata Schinz
• Centema subfusca ( Moq. ) T.Cooke

• Chionothrix latifolia Rendle
• Chionothrix somalensis ( T.Moore ) Hook.f.

• Dasysphaera alternifolia Chiov.
• Dasysphaera hyposericea ( Chiov. ) C.C.Towns.
• Dasysphaera robecchii Lopr.
• Dasysphaera tomentosa Volkens ex Lopr.

• Digera muricata (L.) Mart.

• Eriostylos stefaninii ( Chiov. ) C.C.Towns.

• Herbstia brasiliana ( Moq. ) Sohmer.

• Indobanalia thyrsiflora ( Moq. ) A.N.Henry & B.Roy.

• Lecosia formicarum Pedersen
• Lecosia oppositifolia Pedersen

• Leucosphaera bainesii ( Hook.f. ) Gilg

• Lopriorea ruspolii Schinz

• Marcelliopsis denudata ( Hook.f. ) Schinz
• Marcelliopsis dinteri ( Schinz ) Schinz
• Marcelliopsis splendens Schinz
• Marcelliopsis welwitschii ( Hook.f. ) Schinz

• Mechowia grandiflora Schinz
• Mechowia redactifolia C.C.Towns.

• Nelsia angolensis Bamps
• Nelsia quadrangula ( Engl ) Schinz
• Nelsia tropidogyna C.C.Towns.

• Neocentema alternifolia Schinz
• Neocentema robecchii Schinz

• Nyssanthes diffusa R.Br.
• Nyssanthes erecta R.Br.
• Nyssanthes media R.Br.

• Omegandra kanisii G.J.Leach & C.C.Towns.

• Pleuropterantha revoilii Franch.
• Pleuropterantha thulinii C.C.Towns.
• Pleuropterantha undulatifolia Chiov.

• Polyrhabda atriplicifolia C.C.Towns.

• Pseudosericocoma pungens ( Fenzl ) Cavaco: It occurs in the southwestern and southern Africa.

• Psilotrichopsis curtisii ( Oliv. ) C. C. Towns.

• Rosifax sabuletorum CCTowns. It occurs only in Somalia.

• Saltia papposa ( Forssk. ) Moq:. It occurs only on the southern Arabian Peninsula.

• Sericocoma avolans Fenzl
• Sericocoma heterochiton Lopr.
• Sericocoma pungens Fenzl

• Sericorema remotiflora Lopr.
• Sericorema sericea ( Schinz ) Lopr.

• Stilbanthus scandens Hook. f: It occurs in Asia.

• Trichuriella monsoniae ( L. f ) Bennet: It occurs in Southeast Asia.

• Volkensinia prostrata Schinz: It occurs in East Africa.

Use

The seeds of Amaranthus cruentus, Amaranthus hypochondriacus and Amaranthus caudatus be consumed as a pseudo cereal. As leafy vegetables for example, serve Amaranthus tricolor, Amaranthus dubius and Amaranthus lividus.

Some species are popular ornamental plants, such as Garden pigweed ( Amaranthus caudatus) and silver Celosia ( Celosia argentea ).