Amaranth ID

[Tiggrx]

I would normally ignore a vegetative Amaranth (and often flowering/fruiting ones too) but this one looked a bit different. I can't find any references to Amaranths with blotched leaves, it looked rather like an oversized Persicaria maculosa.

It was growing on a building site in Buckinghamshire and I had a large fence between me and it. I expect it will be destroyed before it managed to flower.

Thanks
Aaron

[Dorts]

Tiggrx.
I've had a good go but I can't key it out, (I used to be quite good on Amaranthus but this is not one I am familiar with.) I don't think it is a Persicaria.
With yours flowers may help. It looks similar to the Amaranthus tricolor (vegetable group), a very variable lot.

As you know a vast variety of Amaranth's are no being grown as a leafy vegetable, many of which have a blotch of red on the leaves, usually refered to as simply 'Red Leaves'. I have no idea what their origin is, no doubt they are from Far East.
If yours is a bird-seed alien, (about 30 species have been recorded), version of one of these I doubt we will ever discover what it is! But I'll keep looking.
Dorts.
Perhaps if you could get hold of it when it flowers you could send it to the appropriate BSBI Referee.
Love to know what it is.

[aeshna5]

I can't tell you which species but I used to grow some of the red leaved forms in a garden + they seeded prolifically. Most grew true to type but a few would appear to revert back with green foliage, some with similar blotches to your photo. I suspect yours may be a throwback like this.

[Tiggrx]

Thanks for the comments. I shall try and look back later in the year, but I suspect the building works will soon destroy the plants.