Common Names

Floramor
Flower gentle
Flower Velour
Lady bleeding
Lovely bleeding
Love lies bleeding
Pilewort
Prince's feather
Red cockscomb
Spleen amaranth
Velvet flower
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Parts Usually Used

Leaves
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Description of Plant(s) and Culture

Amaranth is an annual herb; its stout, upright stem grows 3-4 feet high and bears alternate, oblong-lanceolate pointed, green leaves that have a red-purplish spot. Its flowers appear in August and grow in clusters. The flowers are not properly flowers, but tufts, with no smell, and of a reddish color. Bruised flowers will yield juice of the same color, dried they make good addition to flower arrangements. Flowering time is from August until frost. Seeds are a shiny black.

Other varieties: Smooth pigweed (A. hybridus); Pigweed or Green Amaranth (A. retroflexus). (also tumbleweed)
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Where Found

Cultivated and occurs wild mainly in the central states of the United States.
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Medicinal Properties

Astringent, hemostatic, nutritive, alterative
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Biochemical Information

Not identified; probably small amount of tannin
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Legends, Myths and Stories

The name is from the Greek, meaning "unfading".

The ash of amaranth has a very large salt peter content.

Some species of amaranth are known as pigweed. None of the species is poisonous and many are used as potherbs.
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Uses

Taken internally for diarrhea, dysentery, hemorrhage from the bowels, nosebleeds, and excessive menstruation. Can be used as a douche for leucorrhea, as a wash for skin problems, and as a gargle for mouth and throat irritations.
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Formulas or Dosages

Infusion or decoction: use 1 tsp. leaves with 1 cup water. Take cold, 1-2 cups a day.

Gargle: 2 tbsp. to 1 quart water, simmered 10 minutes and used as a gargle 3-4 times a day. May be used as a douche for leucorrhea.

Tincture: a dose is 1/2 to 1 tsp.
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Nutrient Content

High in vitamins A and C
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Bibliography

• The Herb Book, by John Lust, pgs., 95, 576-577.
• Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants, by Steven Foster and James A. Duke, pg., 216.
• Herbal Recipes, by David C. Meyer, pg., 42.
• Chinese Medicinal Herbs, compiled by Li Shih-Chen, pgs., 33-34.
• Planetary Herbology, by Michael Tierra, C.A., N.D., O.M.D., pgs., 332, 339.
• Indian Herbalogy of North America, by Alma R. Hutchens, pgs., 11-13.
• Culpeper's Complete Herbal & English Physician, by Nicholas Culpeper, pgs., 9.
• Webster's New World Dictionary, Third College Edition, Victoria Neufeldt, Editor in Chief, pg., 42.

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