Mat Amaranth

Amaranthus graecizans is an annual herb that grows up to 50 centimetres (20 inches) tall. Stems are branched from base, glabrous or covered with crisped hairs. The flowers are unisexual and are yellow with round black seeds that are 1–1.25 mm.

Amaranthus graecizans grows in warm temperate zones where it can be found at elevations up to 2,400 metres (7,900 feet). It grows rapidly after rain and can be found on disturbed ground in the vicinity of human and livestock settlements as well as seasonally flooded sandy flats.

The edible leaves are used as a vegetable throughout Africa and the Middle East. It can be eaten raw, but was more often cooked, or added to sauces and stews. A common way to cook Amaranthus graecizans was to cook it in buttermilk, or to squeeze fresh lime-juice over it. The seeds are starchy and can also be eaten Leaves, stems and seeds may be eaten raw and cooked, the leaves have a high nutritional value. When grown on nitrogen-rich soils they are known to concentrate nitrates in the leaves, especially noticeable on land where nitrate fertilizer is used.