Yams, legumes, beans, peanuts, hibiscus, amaranth, and gourds are consumed. Amaranthus cruentus is a flowering plant species that yields the nutritious staple amaranth grain. Amaranthus palmeri is a species of edible flowering plant in the amaranth genus. The main crops in addition to maize were beans, squashes, chilies and amaranth. Amaranth grain is collected from the genus. In certain countries of Africa, various species of nutritious amaranth are very widely eaten boiled. Much of the amaranth grain currently grown is sold in health food shops. It is mostly based on a grain native to Mexico called amaranth. Palmer amaranth is a weed that competes with cotton. In Indonesia and Malaysia, leaf amaranth is called . Research on grain amaranth began in the United States in the 1970s. This color is a representation of the color of purple amaranth flowers. Even some foods associated with Mesoamerican religious practice, such as amaranth, were forbidden. Another important use of amaranth throughout Mesoamerica was in ritual drinks and foods. The color amaranth purple is displayed at right.