Fauna
Plant · GBIF taxon 8279930

Spleen Amaranth

Amaranthus dubius

Also known as Red Spinach, Chinese Spinach, Arai Keerai, Yin Choy

Spleen amaranth is a robust, erect annual herb recognized by its broad ovate leaves and dense clusters of greenish or reddish flower spikes. Historically cultivated throughout tropical Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean as a valued leafy vegetable and pseudograin, it thrives in disturbed soils, field margins, and waste places. As a fast-growing pioneer plant, it quickly colonizes open ground during the rainy season and produces thousands of tiny, wind-pollinated seeds that sustain local seed-eating birds.

HerbaceousAnnualTropical
Spleen Amaranth reference1 / 5
Licensed reference(c) Kevin Faccenda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Autotrophic (Photosynthetic)
Predators
  • Beetle armyworm
  • Flea beetles
  • Leafminers
ThreatsHerbicides, agricultural intensification, habitat urbanization
HabitatsAgricultural fields, gardens, waste ground, disturbed tropical lowlands, riverbanks
Life spanSeveral months (Annual)
Classification
  1. FamilyAmaranthaceae
  2. SpeciesAmaranthus dubius
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Foliage Inspection: Look closely at the leaf axils for compact clusters of small green-to-bronze flowers.
  • Seed Observation: Shake dry seed heads gently in late summer to examine the glossy, dark seed grains.
Related species
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