Amaranth
Amaranth
Amaranth (/ˈæmərænθ/; from the Ancient Greek: ἀμάραντος, amárantos, "unfading") 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 Amaranthus species are summer annual weeds and are commonly referred to as pigweed.
Etymology
The name Amaranth derives from the Greek term amárantos (ἀμάραντος), which means "unfading". The word was applied to amaranth because it retained its bright color even after harvest and drying.
Description
Amaranth plants are classified as pseudocereals that are grown for their edible starchy seeds, but they are not in the same botanical family as true cereals, such as wheat and rice. Amaranth species are reported to have a 30% higher protein value than other cereals, such as rice, wheat flour, oats, and rye.
Related Terms
- Pseudocereal: Any plant that is not a true cereal but has seeds that can be used in much the same way.
- Leaf vegetable: A vegetable that is eaten for its leafy parts.
- Perennial plant: A plant that lives for more than two years.
- Annual plant: A plant that completes its life cycle, from germination to the production of seeds, within one year, and then dies.
- Pigweed: A common name for several plants, including some species in the genus Amaranthus.
See Also
- Quinoa: Another pseudocereal that is often associated with amaranth.
- Spinach: A leaf vegetable that is often compared to amaranth.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Amaranth
- Wikipedia's article - Amaranth
This WikiMD article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski