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Quinoa
Chenopodium quinoa
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A pseudo-cereal in the amaranth family, related to spinach and beet. Native to the high Andes of South America, cultivated for thousands of years in Peru and Bolivia. Its exceptional nutritional profile β close to a complete food β has made it a globally popular 'superfood' grown in over 100 countries. Grown in small quantities in Hokkaido and Shizuoka in Japan.
Identification Points
- βPlant height 1β2 m, stems red, yellow, or green
- βAlternate triangular-rhombic leaves with fine hairs
- βSpike-like inflorescence with many tiny seeds
Habitat
Cultivated (Andean highlands, temperate fields)
Season
February to April (Andes); September to October (harvest in Japan)
Morphological TraitsAI-estimated, needs verification
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf type
Simple
Growth form
Herb
Habitat
Cultivated
Phylogenetic Positionγγ¦η§ β
Phylogenetic Position
Angiosperms > Eudicots > Core Eudicots > Caryophyllales > Amaranthaceae
Divergence Era
Late Cretaceous to Paleogene (ca. 80β65 million years ago)
Sources & References
AI-generated, needs verification