Amaranthus spinosus

Dikenibik

Erect, monoecious perennial, up to 1 m. Stem mostly reddish-brown, glabrous, branched. Leaves long-petioled, 3-8 x 2-5 cm, rhombic-ovate or rhombic-oblong or oblong lanceolate, tapering on both ends, obtuse, notched and mucronate to awned at apex; leaf axils usually with 2 rather strong spines. Inflorencence terminal and axillary, spike-like, erect, slender and elongated, with remote axillary spikes at base, lower clusters, pistillate, upper staminate. Bracteole longer than or as long as tepal, scarious, ovate weakly spiny-tipped. Staminate flowers with 3, oblong-ovate, obtuse or acute or shortly spinytipped tepals. Pistillate flowers with 5, 1-1.5 mm long, white-membranous, acute or shortly spiny-tipped tepals. Fruit as long as tepals, mostly dehiscent, compressed, ellipsoidal, acute or obtuse, with 3 beaks. Seeds about 0.75 mm in diam. Flowering time June - August in Turkey.