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Amaranthus hybridus L. Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. Illustrated flora of the northern states and Canada. Vol. 2: 2.

Prostrate Pigweed Robert H. Mohlenbrock

Pigweed

Navajo Name: Naazkaadii, "spread out"

Classification: 45 species in Amaranthus

Species: 

• pigweed, Amaranthus L.
• prostrate pigweed, Amaranthus albus
• redroot amaranth, Amaranthus retroflexus

Primary Use: Food

Ceremonies: Bead Chant, Coyote Chant

Ritual Use: 

• used in the Coyote Chant smoke for lewdness (Franciscan Fathers 1929:395)
• mixed with other plants and smoked during the Coyote Chant (Elmore 1944:45)
• mixed with Aster and Artemisia to make Bead Chant liniment (Elmore 1944:45)

Medicine:  

• leaves contain nitrate and are listed in Cornell Poisonous Plant database
• infusions used as a lotion on itches (Wyman and Harris 1941: 64)

Food: Seeds ground Standley 1912: 458)

• Seeds ground, mush made with goats milk (Elmore 1944: 45)
• seeds threshed from the plants ground and made into dough and baked in ashes (Bailey 1940: 287)
• ground, then mixed with corn flour and made into bread (Steggerda and Eckardt 1941: 223) 
• parched, then ground into meal mixed with goat's milk to make gruel (Elmore 1944: 46) 
• seeds boiled with tallow and eaten (Bailey 1940: 286) 
• seeds made into dumplings (Steggerda and Eckardt 1941: 223) 
• greens boiled, then fried in grease and eaten or canned  (Franciscan Fathers 1929: 181 Castetter 1935: 15  Elmore 1944: 46) 
• leaves mixed with seeds and grease and eaten (Elmore 1944: 46) 

Other Uses: sheep food

References: 

• Bailey 1940:287
• Castetter 1935:15
• Elmore 1944:45- 46,82
• Franciscan Fathers 1929:181, 395,405
• Mayes and Lacy 1989:77
• Standley 1912:458
• Steggerda and Eckardt1941:223
• Wyman and Harris 1941:64