Amaranthaceae
Gomphrena

Gomphrena globosa L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 224 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mexico to Brazil. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is used to treat unspecified medicinal disorders, has environmental uses and social uses, as a medicine and a soil improver and for food.

Descriptions

Ghazanfar, S. A. & Edmondson, J. R (Eds). (2016) Flora of Iraq, Volume 5 Part 1: Elatinaceae to Sphenocleaceae.

Morphology General Habit
Annual herb, decumbent or erect, branched from base and also above, 15–60 cm; stem and branches ± densely clothed with appressed white hairs at least when young
Morphology Leaves
Leaves broadly lanceolate to oblong or elliptic-oblong, narrowed to an ill-defined petiole below, thinly pilose, the pair of leaves subtending the terminal inflorescence sessile or almost so, broadly to subcordate-ovate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence sessile above the uppermost pair of leaves, usually solitary, globose or depressed-globose, ± 2 cm in diameter, stramineous to pinkish or deep red; bracteoles strongly laterally compressed, with a broad irregularly dentate crest from apex almost to base of dorsal surface of midrib
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal
Tepals 6–6.5 mm, outer considerably lanate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Staminal tube subequalling perianth; 5 teeth deeply bilobed with obtuse lobes subequalling anthers; pseudostaminodes absent.
Ecology
Cultivated in gardens as an ornamental in C Iraq; alt. ± 35 m;
Phenology
Flowering & fruiting: Jun.
Distribution
Iraq: Cultivated in the desert region of Iraq on the irrigated alluvial plain. Widely grown as an ornamental in many parts of the world (including Europe, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, C Asia, India etc.) and sometimes occurring as an escape. According to Husain & Kasim (1975) it is “cultivated throughout the country” in Iraq; but only specimens from Baghdad have been seen.
Vernacular
Globe Amaranth or Bachelor’s Buttons (Eng.), Common Globeamaranth (Am.); WARD AD-DUKMA (Ir., Janan 35711, Sahira C. 311); among other Arabic colloquial names for this plant are DAMM AL- ‘ĀSHIQ and ZIRR HABASHI as given by Schweinfurth (1912) and Bedzuian (1936).
[FIQ]

Amaranthaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954

Note
A native of S. America, cultivated as an ornamental, also subspontaneous.
[FWTA]

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Distribution
Cultivated in Colombia.
Morphology General Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Alt. 27 - 2600 m.
[UPB]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean, Caribbean, Orinoquia. Elevation range: 27–2600 m a.s.l. Cultivated in Colombia. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Amazonas, Bogotá DC, Boyacá, Caquetá, Casanare, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, Putumayo, Quindío, San Andrés y Providencia, Santander, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.
Vernacular
Alumbra a las once, Don diego morado, Inmortal, Inmortales, Manto de cristo, Para todo, Perpetuas, San diego, Siempreviva
[UPFC]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Cultivada en Colombia; Alt. 27 - 2600 m.; Amazonia, Andes, Islas Caribeñas, Orinoquia, Valle del Cauca.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
[CPLC]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
abanico, barbegallo, botón, camarón, cartagena, colocación, inmortal, inmortal blanca, inmortales, sanagustín, siempreviva, terciopelo, viravira, yerbavirgen
[UNAL]

Amaranthaceae, C.C. Townsend. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1985

Morphology General Habit
Annual herb, decumbent or erect, branched from the base and also above, ± 15–60 cm.; stem and branches striate or sulcate, ± densely clothed with appressed white hairs at least when young.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves broadly lanceolate to oblong or elliptic-oblong, 2.5–12(–15) × 2–4(–6) cm., narrowed to an ill-defined petiole below, thinly pilose on both surfaces, the pair of leaves subtending the terminal inflorescence sessile or almost so, broadly ovate to subcordate-ovate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences sessile above the uppermost pair of leaves, usually solitary, globose or depressed-globose, rarely ovoid, ± 2 cm. in diameter, whitish to pinkish or deep red; bracts deltoid-ovate, 3–5 mm., mucronate with the shortly excurrent midrib; bracteoles strongly laterally compressed, navicular, ± 8–12 mm., mucronate with the excurrent midrib, furnished from the apex almost to the base of the dorsal surface of the midrib with a broad irregularly dentate crest.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal
Tepals similar to those of G. celosioides but longer (6–6.5 mm.), the outer more lanate and the inner less markedly indurate at the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Staminal tube subequalling the perianth, the 5 teeth deeply bilobed with obtuse lobes subequalling the anthers; pseudostaminodes absent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Style and stigmas together ± 2.5 mm.; stigmas divergent, subequalling or slightly longer than the style.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule oblong-ovoid, compressed, ± 2.5 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds compressed-ovoid, ± 2 mm., brown, almost smooth, shining.
[FTEA]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Amaranthaceae, C. C. Townsend. Flora Zambesiaca 9:1. 1988

Morphology General Habit
Annual herb, decumbent or erect, branched from the base and also above, c. 15–60 cm.; stem and branches striate or sulcate, more or less densely clothed with appressed white hairs at least when young.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves broadly lanceolate to oblong or elliptic-oblong, 2.5–12 (15) × 2–4 (6) cm., narrowed to an ill-defined petiole below, thinly pilose on both surfaces, the pair of leaves subtending the terminal inflorescence sessile or almost so, broadly to subcordate-ovate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences sessile above the uppermost pair of leaves, usually solitary, globose or depressed-globose, c. 2 cm. in diam., pinkish to deep red; bracts deltoid-ovate, 3–5 mm. long, mucronate with the shortly excurrent midrib; bracteoles strongly laterally compressed, navicular, c.8–12 mm., mucronate with the excurrent midrib, furnished from the apex almost to the base of the dorsal surface of the midrib with a broad, irregularly dentate crest.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal
Tepals similar to those of G. celosioides but longer (6–6.5 mm.), the outer more lanate and the inner less markedly indurate at the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Staminal tube subequalling the perianth, the 5 teeth deeply bilobed with obtuse lobes subequalling the anthers; pseudostaminodes absent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style and stigmas together c. 2.5 mm. long, stigmas divergent, subequalling or slightly longer than the style.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule oblong-ovoid, compressed, c. 2.5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds compressed-ovoid, c. 2 mm. in diam., brown, almost smooth, shining.
[FZ]

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit
Annual, usually branched or bushy herb 30–80 cm tall, the stems appressed-pilose, the nodes swollen
Morphology Leaves
Leaves oblong-elliptic, 2–10 cm long, up to 4 cm broad, acute at the apex; petioles 5–20 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flower-heads subglobose, magenta, yellowish or white, usually subtended by 2 or 3 small leaves; perianth woolly, shorter than the acute to acuminate bracts and bracteoles.
Distribution
Grand Cayman. Although originally described from India, this species probably originated in tropical America.
Ecology
It is widely cultivated in warm countries, and often escapes along roadsides and in open waste land.
[Cayman]

Uses

Use Environmental Soil Improvers
Live plant (in situ) - Used for food security, phytoremediation and crop rotation systems in arsenic-contaminated agricultural soils (Signes-Pastor et al. 2015).
Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders
Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016, Instituto Humboldt 2014).
[UPB]

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Gene Sources
Used as gene sources.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Social
Social uses.
[UPFC]

Common Names

English
Globe amaranth
Spanish
Inmortal, perpetuas, siempreviva, inmortales, manto de cristo, para todo, alumbra a las once, dondiego morado, sandiego.

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Iraq

    • Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. (Eds). (2013-2019). Flora of Iraq, Volumes 5.1, 5.2 and 6.0. Kew Publishing
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants of Boyacá Project

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/