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Useful Tropical Plants

Alternanthera pungens

Kunth

Amaranthaceae

+ Synonyms

Achyranthes leiantha (Seub.) Standl.

Achyranthes lorentzii (Uline) Standl.

Achyranthes mucronata Lam.

Achyranthes nivea Link

Achyranthes obovata Pav. ex Moq.

Achyranthes radicans Cav.

Achyranthes repens L.

Alternanthera achyrantha R.Br. ex Sweet

Alternanthera ciliata Poepp. ex Seub.

Alternanthera echinata Sm.

Alternanthera leiantha (Seub.) Alain

Alternanthera lorentzii Uline

Alternanthera procumbens Rojas Acosta

Alternanthera repens (L.) Link

Alternanthera thomensis Gand.

Bucholzia spinescens Gillies ex Moq.

Celosia echinata Humb. & Bonpl. ex Schult.

Desmochaeta sordida Bunbury

Guilleminea procumbens Rojas Acosta

Illecebrum achyrantha L.

Illecebrum pungens (Kunth) Spreng.

Illecebrum ramosum Moq.

Illecebrum sinense Moq.

Paronychia achyrantha Desf.

Pityranthus crassifolius Mart.

Pupalia sordid Moq.

Telanthera pungens (Kunth) Moq.

Common Name:

Alternanthera pungens
Extensive patch of the plant, growing as a weed along the side of a road in Indonesia.
Photograph by: Wilson C.G.; Australian National Botanic Gardens
Creative Commons License
Alternanthera pungens Alternanthera pungens Alternanthera pungens Alternanthera pungens Alternanthera pungens

General Information

Alternanthera pungens is a herbaceous annual to perennial plant with more or less protrate, much-branched stems growing from a robust taproot. The plant can grow up to 50cm tall, the stems sometimes forming new roots at the leaf nodes, and often becoming woody at the base[
266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
,
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local medicinal use.

Known Hazards

A weed of pastures, the plant is suspected of causing the deaths of pigs and digestive disturbances and dermatitis of cattle[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
].

Botanical References

266
Title
Flora of China
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/
Publisher
Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis.
Year
1994
ISBN
 
Description
An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.

Range

S. America - Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela.

Habitat

Naturalized on waste land, dockyards and roadsides in lowland areas near the coast in New Guinea. In India it is a weed of pebbly soils and dry locations[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Properties

Weed PotentialYes
Medicinal Rating *  *
HabitPerennial
Height0.30 m
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details



The plant has escaped from cultivation and become a weed in many areas. It colonises bare ground and disturbed areas usually forming a dense mat, particularly around houses, lawns, camp sites, stockyards or overgrazed areas. It is known to invade native pastures and out-compete more desirable species - its large taproot makes control difficult[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
]. Burrs carrying the seeds are spread when they become attached to clothing, footwear, swags, tyres, machinery and animals. Water will also spread the burrs short distances and some spread has been recorded by the movement of fodder. Populations can expand by means of roots forming at the nodes and by fragmentation[
305
Title
Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant is diuretic. A decoction is used internally to treat gonorrhoea[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-29. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Alternanthera+pungens>

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