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Amaranthaceae
Amaranthus

not marked as a favorite taxon Amaranthus pumilus Rafinesque. Common name: Seabeach Amaranth, Dwarf Amaranth. Phenology: Jul-Nov. Habitat: Sea beaches, fore-dunes, island end flats, rarely on sound-side beaches. Distribution: Se. MA south to c. SC; presently known to be extant only from NC, n. SC, e. MD, DE (McAvoy 2002), se. NY (Long Island), VA, and NJ. Since 2000, populations have crashed rangewide.

Glossary (beta!)

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Other Comments: Seeds of this plant require cold stratification, high temperatures, and light to germinate (Baskin & Baskin 1998); this is apparently responsible for the late seasonality of the species (germination in late spring and early summer) and its seed-banking. See Hancock & Hosier (2003) for discussion of the ecology of this interesting species.

Synonymy ⓘ: = C, F, FNA4, G, GW2, K4, NE, NY, Pa, RAB, S13, Tat, Va, Bayón (2015). Basionym: Amaranthus pumilus Raf. 1808

Links to other floras: = Amaranthus pumilus - FNA4

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Wetland Indicator Status:

  • Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW
  • Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACW
  • Northcentral & Northeast: FACW

Heliophily ⓘ: 9

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image #1 of Amaranthus pumilus© Bruce Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
image #2 of Amaranthus pumilus© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image #3 of Amaranthus pumilus© Mike Kunz | Original Image ⭷
image #6 of Amaranthus pumilus© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image #7 of Amaranthus pumilus© Mike Kunz | Original Image ⭷
image #9 of Amaranthus pumilus© Radford, Ahles and Bell | Original Image ⭷
image #10 of Amaranthus pumilus© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷
image #13 of Amaranthus pumilus© Scott Ward | Original Image ⭷

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Horticultural Information

NCBG trait

Intro: Prostrate to ascending, mat-forming annual of sea beaches, fore-dunes, island end flats and, rarely, sound-side beaches.

Stems: Stems fleshy, branching from the base, reddish, smooth.

Leaves: Leaves alternate but clustered toward ends of branches, petiolate, round to oval with decurrent base and shallow notch at the tip, 1/2-3/4 in. long, fleshy, margins slightly wavy, smooth.

Inforescence:

Flowers: Flowers in conspicuous clusters in leaf axils, reddish-green, minute, with yellow stamens in male flowers protruding at peak flowering.

Fruits: Fruit a shiny black seed surrounded by a dark, wrinkled membrane.

Comments: Larger plants may contain over 100 stems branching from the center, attaining a diameter of more than 3 ft.

Height: 4-10 in.

plant sale text:

bloom table text:

description: Prostrate to ascending, mat-forming annual of sea beaches, fore-dunes, island end flats and, rarely, sound-side beaches.

stems: Stems fleshy, branching from the base, reddish, smooth.

leaves: Leaves alternate but clustered toward ends of branches, petiolate, round to oval with decurrent base and shallow notch at the tip, 1/2-3/4 in. long, fleshy, margins slightly wavy, smooth.

inflorescence:

flowers: Flowers in conspicuous clusters in leaf axils, reddish-green, minute, with yellow stamens in male flowers protruding at peak flowering.

fruits: Fruit a shiny black seed surrounded by a dark, wrinkled membrane.

comments: Larger plants may contain over 100 stems branching from the center, attaining a diameter of more than 3 ft.

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range:



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