Taxonomic revision of the genus Amaranthus (Amaranthaceae) in Saudi Arabia Author Hassan, Walaa A. Author Al-Shaye, Najla A. 0000-0002-0447-8613 Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P. O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia & naaalshaye @ pnu. edu. sa; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 0447 - 8613 naaalshaye@pnu.edu.sa Author Alghamdi, Salma 0000-0001-7716-2233 Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P. O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia & saatalghamdi @ pnu. edu. sa; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 7716 - 2233 saatalghamdi@pnu.edu.sa Author Korany, Shereen M. 0000-0002-9355-3952 Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P. O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia & smkorany @ pnu. edu. as; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 9355 - 3952 smkorany@pnu.edu.as Author Iamonico, Duilio 0000-0001-5491-7568 Ce. R. S. I. Te. S., University of Rome Sapienza, viale XXIV Maggio 7, 04100 - Latina, Italy & duilio. iamonico @ uniroma 1. it; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 5491 - 7568 & Authors that contributed equally to the work text Phytotaxa 2022 2022-12-20 576 2 135 157 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.576.2.1 journal article 53324 10.11646/phytotaxa.576.2.1 1a9bd59f-7293-432f-b3c1-6df0bc659474 1179-3163 7461280 8. Amaranthus spinosus L ., Sp. Pl. 2: 991. 1753 Type ( lectotype designated by Fawcett & Rendle 1914: 103 ):—ASIA. Habitat in Indiis , Herb. Linn. No. 1117.27 (LINN!, image of the lectotype available at http://linnean-online.org/11653/) . Description:— Herbs 1–85(–120) dm tall, monoecious, annual (therophyte), rarely biennial. Stems usually erect, ± glabrous (sometimes sparsely pubescent in the inflorescence region), white to white-greenish, much branched. Leaves green (usually pale green), ovate, elliptic to spathulate (3.5–6.0 × 1.5–3.0 cm in the main axis, greater than the leaves on the branches), often with undulate margins (sometimes with a white marginal vein), apex obtuse and mucronate, base cuneate, glabrous (rarely pubescent on the veins), petioled (petiole 1.6–3.0 cm long). Synflorescences arranged in axillary glomerules, light green. Floral bracts greenish, ovate-lanceolate [(2.0–)3.0–4.0(–6.0) × 0.3–0.6 mm ], 2(–2.5) times longer than the perianth, awned, margin entire, glabrous. Staminate flowers with 3 tepals, lanceolate; stamens 3. Pistillate flowers with 3 tepals, linear to lanceolate [0.9–1.1 × 0.3–0.4(–0.5) mm], with acute apex; stigmas 3. Fruit brownish-black, ellipsoidal [(1.2–)1.4–1.8 × 1.0–1.2(–1.4) mm], as long as or slightly longer than the perianth, rugose when dry, dehiscent. Seed lenticular [(0.8–)0.9–1.1(–1.3) mm in diameter], black to brownish-black. Iconography:— Beck (1909 : Tab. 297, figures 3–5); Chaudhary (1998 : Plate. 127g –j), Bayón (2015: 296 , Figura 15). Phenology:— Flowering time June ( Al-Turki et al. 2000 ). Habitat and elevation:— Human-made habitat, about sea level ( Al-Turki et al. 2000 ). Chromosome number:— 2n = 34 ( Al-Turki et al. 2000: 341 ), 68. Alien status:— Neophyte species native to Neotropics, it can be considered as casual in Saudi Arabia (see also Chaudhary 1998 ). Occurrence in Saudi Arabia ( Fig. 10 ):— Bisha ( Abbas et al. 2020 ), Jizan ( Al-Turki et al. 2000 , Aljieddani et al. 2021). No finding was done during the filed surveys. Further researches are necessary to verify the distribution of A. spinosus in the country.