Amaranthus blitum subsp. emarginatus

Family: Amaranthaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Prostrate amaranth is a native annual found in southern California coastal areas in disturbed urban spaces and irrigated horticultural crops at elevations below 250 meters. Flowering from July to October, this plant produces small green flowers with delicate membranous bracts. Growing with prostrate to ascending stems 0.5 to 7 decimeters tall and many green branches, it spreads across the ground in dense, interconnected clusters. Its distinctive leaves are ovate to rhombic-ovate, 15 to 35 millimeters long with deeply notched or two-lobed tips, creating a distinctive irregular leaf shape. The fruit is a small, irregular-wrinkled green seed capsule approximately 1 to 1.5 millimeters long, containing smooth, shiny brown-black seeds.

Habitat: Disturbed urban areas, irrigated horticultural crops

Bloom period: Jul-Oct

Elevation: < 250 m

Bioregions: SCo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.