Common Name:

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[, ].
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[].

Botanical References

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[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.30 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

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[]. 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[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The plant is diuretic. A decoction is used internally to treat gonorrhoea[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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