28 BULLETIN 1345, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
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PIGWEED FAMILY ; 
ACANTHOCHITON WRIGHTII Torr. 
Acanthochiton wrightii is a weedlike annual, native to the sandy 
lands of western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and adjacent Mexico. 
It resembles the careless weeds or pigweeds (Amaranthus spp.) of 
that region in general appearance, but differs in the structure of the 
flower parts and in the fruit. It is an erect, branching, pale-green 
herb with narrowly oblong leaves, 2 inches long or less and less than 
one-fourth as wide, having wavy, crisped margins and prominent pale 
veins. The flowers are of two kinds, borne on different plants in 
long, slender, crowded terminal spikes. The fruits are surrounded 
by pale green, leaflike, spiny bracts, one fourth of an inch long or 
less. The seed habits of this species are good, and the plants are 
well adapted to the severe conditions of their habitat. 
Department sample 7072 (W), consisting of mature fruiting 
plants, from which part of the old leaves had fallen, collected on 
the plains in sandy soil, about 25 miles north of Las Cruces, N. 
Mex., September 21, 1912, contained, on an air-dry basis, 6.5 per 
cent of moisture, and, on a water-free basis, 12.3 per cent of ash, 
1.7 per cent of ether extract, 37.7 per cent of crude fiber, 42.4 per 
cent of nitrogen-free extract, 5.9 per cent of protein, and 16 per 
cent of pentosans. 
While green, these plants are eaten freely by range stock, with 
every evidence that they are palatable. 
AMARANTHUS PALMERI S. Wats. 
Under favorable conditions, Amaranthus palmeri grows to a height 
of 6 or 7 feet and branches widely, producing an abundance of small 
glossy black seeds, which retain their viability for a long time. 
(Pl. X, fig. 1.) Under unfavorable conditions, the plants may grow 
to a height of only a few inches, in most cases, however, producing 
viable seeds. This species may be recognized by the long, slender, 
drooping spikes of greenish staminate flowers. 
The distribution area of this species is on the lower, drier, and 
warmer plains from California eastward to western Kansas and 
Texas, and southward into Mexico. It is one of the most common of 
the pigweeds of the Southwest, where it is known also as careless 
weed and not infrequently as quelite. It is a common weed on 
irrigated land, where it nearly always grows on ditch banks along 
the roads and in most cultivated fields. It also grows freely on 
range lands, especially on land which receives some irrigation from 
a local run-off each season. It is most commonly found in arroyos 
or in small drainage basins that receive some flood waters. 
Department sample 8570 (G), consisting of the lower branches in 
full leaf and flower, collected at Phoenix, Ariz., September 24, 1906, 
contained, on an air-dry basis, 2.7 per cent of moisture, and, on a 
water-free basis, 12.8 per cent of ash, 1.8 per cent of ether extract, 
33.3 per cent of crude fiber, 41.1 per cent of nitrogen-free extract, 
11 per cent of protein, and 16 per cent of pentosans. 
In certain places in southern Arizona the Mexicans harvest an oc- 
casional volunteer crop of A. palmeri, which makes a coarse hay. 
