Gomphrena L.

	Gomphrena sp.: stem

globe amaranth

globe amaranth, bachelor's button

Gomphrena globosa L.

G. haageana Klotzsch, and hybrids between these two.

Guatemala, Panama, Texas, Mexico.

Stems bearing ovate to oblong-linear, opposite, subsessile, sparsely hairy, ciliate leaves and terminal, solitary, dense heads; head subtended by 2 leafy bracts; flowers small (less than 1 cm long), enclosed in 2 deltoid to ovate bracts to 5 mm long, and 2 strongly keeled, colored bracteoles to 15 mm long; flowers bisexual, of 5 perianth segments to 7 mm long, densely hairy; 5 filaments united into a tube with deeply bifid teeth; anthers exserted beyond bracteoles when mature. Bracteoles, perianth segments, and filaments similar in appearance.

Stems often short, 30 to 60 cm long; heads usually terminal, less often axillary, ovoid, ellipsoid or spherical, to 5 cm long; heads mainly red, also pink, white, lavender and other colors, due to color of bracteoles; G. haageana has yellow heads.

Egypt, Zimbabwe