Scientific Name
Other Names
Life Form
Family
Ornamental plant for gardens and flower arrangements. Food- Edible seeds used as grain in some parts of South America. Leaves and young shoots are also edible.
America
Thrives in gardens and fields. Grows well in the Himalayas, at an elevation up to 2400 m.
It is erect annual herb growing 60-120 cm tall.
Stem is stout, erect, reddish-green, slightly branched or not, glabrous when mature, up to 2 cm thick at base.
Leaves are oval, light green, up to 15 cm long.
Flowers are tiny, blood-red, petalless flowers arranged in dense, drooping, tassel-like spikes, 7-30 cm long.
Fruit is small, dry capsule containing numerous tiny black seeds.
Flowering: July – August,
Fruiting: September – October.