《中国植物志》|| 苋科 AMARANTHACEAE ||三被组 Sect. 2. Blitopsis Dumort. ||苋 Amaranthus tricolor L.

7.苋 雁来红（救荒本草）、老少年（盛京通志）、老来少、三色苋（华北经济植物志要）图版46：7-10
Amaranthus tricolor L. Sp. Pl. 989. 1753; Bailey, Man. Cult. Pl. 355. 1949; 崔友文, 华北经济植物志要61. 1953; 侯宽昭, 植物分类学报3: 75. 1954; 广州植物志145. 1956; 东北草本植物志2: 102. f. 100. 1959; 海南植物志1: 404. 1964;中国高等植物图鉴1: 606. f. 1211. 1972;秦岭植物志1 (2): 182. 1974.——A. mangostanus L. Cent. Pl. 1: 32. 1755;崔友文, 同上61. ——A. gangeticus L. Syst. ed. 10. 1268. 1759 et Sp. Pl. ed. 2. 1403. 1763; kom. in Acta Hort. Petrop. 22: 165. 1903; Bailey in Gent. Herb. 1: 21. 1920; 中国北部植物图志4: 14. pl. 6. 1935;北京植物志上册, 231. f. 176. 1962.
一年生草本，高80-150厘米；茎粗壮，绿色或红色，常分枝，幼时有毛或无毛。叶片卵形、菱状卵形或披针形，长4-10厘米，宽2-7厘米，绿色或常成红色，紫色或黄色，或部分绿色加杂其他颜色，顶端圆钝或尖凹，具凸尖，基部楔形，全缘或波状缘，无毛；叶柄长2-6厘米，绿色或红色。花簇腋生，直到下部叶，或同时具顶生花簇，成下垂的穗状花序; 花簇球形，直径5-15毫米，雄花和雌花混生；苞片及小苞片卵状披针形，长2.5-3毫米，透明，顶端有1长芒尖，背面具1绿色或红色隆起中脉；花被片矩圆形，长3-4毫米，绿色或黄绿色，顶端有1长芒尖，背面具1绿色或紫色隆起中脉；雄蕊比花被片长或短。胞果卵状矩圆形，长2-2.5毫米，环状横裂，包裹在宿存花被片内。种子近圆形或倒卵形，直径约1毫米，黑色或黑棕色，边缘钝。花期5-8月，果期7-9月。
全国各地均有栽培，有时逸为半野生。原产印度，分布于亚洲南部、中亚、日本等地。
茎叶作为蔬菜食用；叶杂有各种颜色者供观赏；根、果实及全草入药，有明目、利大小便、去寒热的功效。

《云南植物志》|| 苋科 Amaranthaceae nom. conserv. ||苋属 Amaranthus Linn. ||苋 Amaranthus tricolor Linn.

5. 苋（神农本草经）
雁来红（救荒本草），老少年（盛京通志），老来少、三色苋（华北经济植物志要），小米菜（河北、云南），红苋菜（四川），青香苋（湖南）
Amaranthus tricolor Linn. (1753); Bailey (1949); 华北经济植物志要 (1953); 东北草本志 (1959)*; 图鉴 (1972)*; 中国植物志 (1979)*; 云南种子植物名录 (1984); K. Larsen (1992).
Amaranthus mangostanus Linn. (1753); A. gangeticus Linn. (1759); (1763); Hook. f. (1886); Bailey (1920); 中国北部植物图志 (1935)*; 北京植物志 (1962); A. melancholicus Linn. var. tricolor Moq. in DC. (1849).
一年生草本，高40—150厘米，绿色或红色，常分枝，幼时近无毛。叶片卵状披针形或菱状卵形及卵形，长4—12厘米，宽2—8厘米，绿色或常为红色、紫红色或加杂其他颜色，先端圆钝或尖凹，具凸尖，基部窄楔形，全缘或波状缘，无毛，纸质；叶柄长2—6厘米，绿色或红色。花簇腋生或顶生，组成下垂的穗状花序；花簇球形，直径约15毫米，雌、雄花混生；苞片及小苞片卵状披针形，长约3毫米，半透明，顶端有1长芒尖，背面具1绿色或红色隆起中脉；花被片矩圆形，长3—4毫米，绿色或黄绿色，顶端有1长芒尖，背面具1绿色或紫色隆起中脉；雄蕊比花被片长或短。胞果卵状矩圆形，长2—2.5毫米，环状横裂，包裹在宿存花被片内。种子近圆形或倒卵形，直径约1毫米，黑色或黑棕色，边缘钝，具光泽。花期5—8月，果期7—9月。
全省均有栽培，有时为半野生；全国各地均有栽培。原产印度，分布于亚洲南部、中亚、日本等地。
茎叶通常作为蔬菜食用，速生易长。有些品种的叶杂有各种颜色，供观赏，称雁来红，老来少，老少年等；根、果实及全草入药，有明目、利尿、去寒湿的功效。
叶含大量维生素C及苋色素（amaranthin）。种子油含多种脂肪酸。

《Flora of China》|| Amaranthaceae || Amaranthus || Amaranthus tricolor

9. Amaranthus tricolor Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 989. 1753.

苋 xian

Amaranthus gangeticus Linnaeus; A. gangeticus var. angustior Bailey; A. mangostanus Linnaeus.

Stem green or red, 80-150 cm tall, stout, often branched. Petiole green or red, 2-6 cm; leaf blade green, red, purple, or yellow, ovate, ovate-rhombic, or lanceolate, 4-10 × 2-7 cm, glabrous, base cuneate, margin entire or undulate, apex obtuse or notched, with a mucro. Flowers in dense clusters at leaf axils or in spike at apex; male and female flowers in same inflorescences. Bracts and bracteoles ovate-lanceolate, 2.5-3 mm, transparent, apex long pointed. Stamens 3. Stigmas 3. Utricles included in perianth, ovate-oblong, 2-2.5 mm, circumscissile. Seeds brownish black, subglobose or obovoid, ca. 1 mm in diam. Fl. May-Aug, fr. Jul-Sep. 2n = 34*, 68, 85*.

Widely cultivated. in China [probably native to tropical Asia; cultivated and naturalized throughout that region].

《Flora of North America》|| Amaranthaceae || Amaranthus || Amaranthus tricolor

34. Amaranthus tricolor Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 989. 1753.

Joseph’s coat, summer poinsettia

Plants annual, glabrous. Stems erect, often branched, 0.8-1.5 m. Leaves: petiole ¹/2 as long as blade; blade ovate, elliptic, rhombic, or lanceolate, mostly 4-12 × 1.4-6 cm, base tapering, margins entire, usually undulate, apex acuminate and short-mucronate; distal leaf blades green, red, scarlet, maroon, purple, yellow, and cream (unique to A. tricolor). Inflorescences axillary glomerules. Bracts of pistillate flowers ovate to lanceolate, 5-6 mm. Pistillate flowers: tepals 3, narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 5-6 mm, apex aristate; style branches spreading; stigmas 2-3. Staminate flowers intermixed with pistillate; tepals 3; stamens 3. Utricles ovoid, 2-2.5 mm, rugose, dehiscence regularly circumscissile. Seeds black or brownish black, subglobose, 1 mm diam., shiny.

Flowering summer-fall. Locally escaped from cultivation, disturbed areas; introduced; La., Mich., Mo.; native in tropical Asia.

Amaranthus tricolor is widely cultivated as a garden plant for its showy, often variegated, distal leaves of striking colors---red, scarlet, maroon, purple, yellow, cream, and green. Other cultivated varieties with green leaves are sometimes cultivated as a potherb. Escaped plants sometimes occur near places of cultivation; we have no evidence of widespread establishment.