Amaranthus blitum Linnaeus (1753: 990) var. blitum

Das, Saubhik & Iamonico, Duilio, 2014, Amaranthus bengalense (Amaranthaceae) a new species from India, with taxonomical notes on A. blitum aggregate, Phytotaxa 181 (5), pp. 293-300 : 296

Amaranthus blitum Linnaeus (1753: 990) var. blitum

Type (lectotype designated by Filias et al. 1980: 149–150):—EUROPE. Habitat in Europa temparatiore, Herb. Linn. No. 1117.14 ( LINN!, image of the lectotype available at http://linnean-online.org/11640/) .

Description:—Herbs 1.5–8.0 dm tall, monoecious, annual (therophyte). Stem erect to prostrate, glabrous, green to brown (sometimes reddish), branched. Leaves usually green, ovate (2.5–4.5 × 1.5–3.5 cm), margin entire, long petioled (petiole usually long as well as the blade), apex emerginate to bilobed, often mucronate, base usually cuneate. Synflorescences arranged in terminal spike-like, erect or reflexed. Bracts ovate to oblong [(0.4–)0.8–1.0 × 0.4−0.9 mm], shorter (⅓−½) than the perianth. Staminate flowers with 3 tepals, usually ovate; stamens 3. Pistillate flowers with 3 equal or subequal tepals, oblong-lanceolate, elliptic [1.2–1.5(–2.0) mm long], membranous with acute apex and thick adaxial midvein; style branches erect, stigma 3. Fruit reddish-brown, compressed subglobose to elipsoidal, 1.5–2.5 mm long, as long as or longer than the perianth, smooth to finely rugose, indehiscent. Seed lenticular, black to dark-reddish, with minutely punctiform surface, 1.1–1.2 mm in diameter.

Distribution:— It is distributed throughout India specially in West Bengal, Orissa, Kerala, Gujrat, Meghalaya, also reported from North East India, Kashmir.

Ecology:— An erect annual herb found as a common weed of waste places. It takes 50−60 days to mature and flower in the month of July−August.

Selected specimen examined:— INDIA. Orissa: Mahabaleswar, 6 April 1956, Giri (CAL). Gujrat: Bhuj, 1 February 1957, Despande (CAL). West Bengal: Howrah, Dumjor, 3 February 1964, Bennet (CAL). Kerala: Perunna, May 1969, Nair (CAL). Sikkim: 2 November 1967, Majumder et Datta (CAL); Balukup, 21 January 1911, Ribu et Rhomoo (CAL). Meghalaya: Shillong, May 1920, Carter (CAL). ITALY. Emilia-Romagna: Casinalbo, luoghi pingui, 70 m a.s.l., 08 August 1940, Adr. Fiori s.n. (FI). Lazio: Roma, Centocelle, marrana, 30 August 1954, Cacciato (RO); Roma, Cinecittà, 08 December 1970, Cacciato (RO). Liguria: nei giaridni pubblici, Finale Ligure Marina (Savona) , 23 August 1970, leg. Catanzaro, det. Cacciato s.n. (RO). Molise: Campomarino (CB), interstizi della pavimentazione stradale, 27 July 2009, leg. Palermo et Iamonico, det. Iamonico s.n. (HFLA- Herb. Iamonico). Toscana: Isola del Giglio, 20 May 1894, leg. et det. Sommier (sub Amaranthus sp. ), rev. Iamonico s.n. (FI). Veneto: in un campo a Cozzuolo (Vittorio), 29 July 1895, leg. et det. Pampanini (sub A. blitum ). Rev. Iamonico s.n. (FI). ROMANIA. Mutenia: Ilfov, in ruderatis platae, 90 m a.s.l., 28 August 1941, I. Morariu [sub A. lividus L. var. ascendens (Lois.) Thell. F. major Thell.], rev. D. Iamonico (RO). UKRAINE. Lviv: Ivano Francovo, milieu rudéralisé, September 1993, leg. J. Rousselle et N. Chasseur, det. J. Lambinon (FI).