ALAINN: “BEAUTIFUL, FINE, LOVELY”. (IRISH) OLD IRISH ÁLAIND‎

My Account

Pay what you will in our digital Shop. We have removed prices from all our non-personalized digital products. – Love, Kitty
Prefer FREE access to ALL digital products? Want to support the disclosure library? Become a Supporting Member Today.

Spiny Amaranth (Amaranthus spinosus)

Annual
View Images of Spiny Amaranth (Amaranthus spinosus)
Common Name Latin Name Plant Family
Spiny Amaranth
Amaranthus spinosus
Amaranthaceae

Yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the whole plant[168].

A red pigment obtained from the plant (the report does not specify which part of the plant) is used as a colouring in foods and medicines[238].

  • Medicinal Use

    The seed is used as a poultice for broken bones[218].

    The plant is astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic, emollient, febrifuge and galactogogue[4, 61, 147, 218, 238, 240, 272]. It is used internally in the treatment of internal bleeding, diarrhoea and excessive menstruation[238, 254]. It is also used in the treatment of snake bites[243]. Externally, it is used to treat ulcerated mouths, vaginal discharges, nosebleeds and wounds[238, 243]. The plant can be used fresh or it can also be harvested when coming into flower and dried for later use[238].

    The root is emmenagogue and galactogogue[243]. A paste of the root is used in the treatment of menorrhagia, gonorrhoea, eczema and colic[243, 272]. It helps to remove pus from boils[272]. The juice of the root is used in Nepal to treat fevers, urinary troubles, diarrhoea and dysentery[272]. It is also used, often combind with the root juice of Dichrophela integra and Rubus ellipticus, to treat stomach disorders and, on its own, to treat indigestion and vomiting that occur after eating unusual foods[272].

  • Edible Use

    Leaves and stems – raw or cooked as a spinach[2, 61, 177]. If older leaves and stems are used the spines must be removed[183]. Highly esteemed[183]. The dried leaves contain (per 100g) 267 – 276 calories, 20 – 34.4% protein, 2 – 4.5% fat, 45 – 54% carbohydrate, 9.8 – 10.4% fibre, 16.6 – 24% ash, 1795 – 5333mg calcium, 333 – 460mg phosphorus, 13.5 – 152.7mg iron, 13 – 37mg sodium, 337 – 3528mg potassium, 27.9 – 40.8mg betacarotene equivalent, 0.06mg thiamine, 2.02mg riboflavin, 7.7 – 8.6mg niacin and 503mg ascorbic acid[218].

    Seed – cooked. Very small but easy to harvest and very nutritious. The seed can be cooked whole, and becomes very gelatinous like this, but it is rather difficult to crush all of the small seeds in the mouth and thus some of the seed will pass right through the digestive system without being assimilated[K].

  • Cautionary Notes

    No members of this genus are known to be poisonous, but when grown on nitrogen-rich soils they are known to concentrate nitrates in the leaves. This is especially noticeable on land where chemical fertilizers are used. Nitrates are implicated in stomach cancers, blue babies and some other health problems. It is inadvisable, therefore, to eat this plant if it is grown inorganically.

Cultivation & Habitat

Seed – sow late spring in situ. An earlier sowing can be made in a greenhouse and the plants put out after the last expected frosts. Germination is usually rapid and good if the soil is warm[133]. A drop in temperature overnight aids germination[133]. Cuttings of growing plants root easily[206].
Prefers a well-drained fertile soil in a sunny position[200]. Requires a hot sheltered position if it is to do well[K]. Plants should not be given inorganic fertilizers, see notes above on toxicity. Most if not all members of this genus photosynthesize by a more efficient method than most plants. Called the ‘C4 carbon-fixation pathway’, this process is particularly efficient at high temperatures, in bright sunlight and under dry conditions[196].
Tropical America.

Become ungovernable, break the chains of the matrix; grow and forage your own food and medicine.

*None of the information on this website qualifies as professional medical advice. Take only what resonates with your heart and use your own personal responsibility for what’s best for you. For more information [brackets] [000], see bibliography.

As with ALL things; Take only what resonates with your heart and higher self, and leave the rest behind.

Repository of Divination tools, News, Elements, Spells, Rituals, Clearings, Entities, Ascension; Kitty is a magpie at heart, gathering information trinkets from everywhere and sharing them here in hopes that some might shine a light on your journey in this Incarnation. Please only take what resonates with your heart and leave the rest behind. Tionscadal Mo Chroi (Project of my heart) Lovingly curated by Kitty, bean draío leabharlannaí (Librarian Witch)

  • For any question, you can cast a handful or bag of Runes and read the meaning of the runes that land face up only.
  • You may cast them into a circle (drawn with chalk or as a pattern on a cloth). Read the runes that land inside the circle AND face up.
  • If The Eye (Witches Rune) or Tiwaz (Elder Futhark) appears amongst the runes when cast, pay extra attention to where the eye is looking or Tiwaz is pointing.
  • Pro Tip: You can also use runes just as you would the Tarot, with ANY tarot spread. Simply pull one at a time from your bag to fill the layout.

*while Witches’ and Elder Futhark are different sets of runes, (just as English and Gaelic are different languages) I use mine together;  my rune casts are “bilingual”. I have made the same choice in my online rune layouts. Alainn Tarot interactive includes both sets at the same time. 

These are plants that grow in my own yard or elements that I keep in stock personally, gathered in a single category for my own quick navigation.