Spiny pigweed

At a glance

Origin / distribution: Ghana, Mauritius, India, ", Philippines, Java, India(Santal), Swaziland

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Bite(Snake), Colic, Diuretic, Eczema

Science studied: ASCORBIC-ACID, ASH, CALCIUM, BETA-CAROTENE

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Amaranthaceae

Scientific name: Amaranthus spinosus

Common names: Spiny pigweed, Amanranto spinoso, Amarante épineuse, Amarante épineuse, Brède épineuse, Brède malabar, Brède malabar à piquants, Brède malbar, Paillatère, Amarante épineuse, Épinard malarabe, Bayam Duri, Bledo, Bledo blanco, Bledo espinoso, Bledo espinoso (Cuba), Bledo espinoso (Dominican Republic), Blero espinoso (Puerto Rico), Bonongwe, Bredo, Caruru-de-espinho, Dorniger Amarant, Dorniger Amarant (DE), Epinard piquard

POWO: 10711-2 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in Ghana, Elsewhere, Mauritius, India, ", Philippines, Java, India(Santal) and 3 additional places.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Bite(Snake)
• Colic
• Diuretic
• Eczema
• Emollient
• Gonorrhea
• Inflammation
• Lactogogue

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• Ghana
• Elsewhere
• Mauritius
• India
• "
• Philippines
• Java
• India(Santal)
• Swaziland
• Cambodia
• Malaya

Documented cultural uses

• Bite(Snake)
• Colic
• Diuretic
• Eczema
• Emollient
• Gonorrhea
• Inflammation
• Lactogogue
• Menorrhagia
• Nausea
• Piles
• Snuff

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Bite(Snake) · Ghana · "
• Colic · Elsewhere · "
• Diuretic · Mauritius · "
• Eczema · India · "
• Eczema · " · "
• Eczema · Philippines · "
• Emollient · " · "
• Gonorrhea · Elsewhere · "
• Inflammation · Java · "
• Lactogogue · Philippines · "
• Menorrhagia · Elsewhere · "
• Nausea · India(Santal) · "
• Piles · Ghana · "
• Snuff · Swaziland · "
• Tumor · Java · "
• Tumor · Mauritius · "
• Tumor(Uterus) · Cambodia · "
• Bite(Snake) · Philippines · "
• Bite(Snake) · India · "
• Boil · Malaya · "
• Bronchitis · Malaya · "
• Diuretic · Malaya · "
• Dyspnea · Malaya · "
• Emmenagogue · Java · "

7 additional documented entries remain in the source record.

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Ecological study on alien Amaranthus spinosus L. in the Egyptian Nile Valley. · 2026 source ↗
• Chromosome-level genome assemblies and annotations of Amaranthus spinosus, Amaranthus acanthochiton, Amaranthus arenicola, and Amaranthus floridanus · 2026 source ↗
• Effects of Amaranthus spinosus Extract and Its Polyphenol Rich Fraction in Adenine-Induced Chronic Kidney Disease in Experimental Animals. · 2026 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• ASCORBIC-ACID
• ASH
• CALCIUM
• BETA-CAROTENE
• CARBOHYDRATES
• FAT
• FIBER
• HENTRIACONTANE
• KILOCALORIES
• MUCILAGE
• NICOTINIC-ACID
• OLEANOLIC-ACID-SAPONIN
• POTASSIUM
• RIBOFLAVIN
• RUTIN
• BETA-SITOSTEROL

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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