Amaranthaceae
Alternanthera

Alternanthera pungens Kunth

First published in F.W.H.von Humboldt, A.J.A.Bonpland & C.S.Kunth, Nov. Gen. Sp. 2: 206 (1818)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mexico to Tropical America. It is a subshrub and grows primarily in the subtropical biome. It is used to treat unspecified medicinal disorders, as a medicine, has environmental uses and for food.

Descriptions

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Conservation
Not Evaluated.
Ecology
Alt. 300 - 2000 m.
Morphology General Habit
Herb.
Distribution
Native from Colombia.
[UPB]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Prostrate perennial with a stout, vertical rootstock, also rooting at the lower nodes, much-branched from the base outwards to form mats up to c. 1 m across
Morphology Stem
Stem and branches at first densely villous with long white hairs, later glabrescent
Morphology Leaves
Leaves broadly rhomboid-ovate to obovate, 1.5–4.5 x 0.3–2.7 cm, rounded or subacute at the apex with the mucro frequently bristle-like when young, attenuate below, glabrous or rather thinly appressed-hairy
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences sessile, commonly 2–3 together, 0.5–1.5 x 0.5–1 cm, globose to shortly cylindrical
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal
Tepals extremely dissimilar: outer 2 (abaxial) deltoid-lanceolate, c. 5 mm., with a spinous arista; inner (adaxial) oblong, flat, c. 3 mm, strongly dentate at the apex, mucro short and fine; lateral tepals c. 2 mm, sinuate in lateral view with the two sides connivent; all tepals with tufts of glochidiate, barbellate hairs
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 5, all with anthers, pseudostaminodes broad and quadrate or shorter, entire to dentate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style as wide as or wider than long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit roundish, c. 2 mm, rounded to retuse at the tip.
Distribution
N1; C2; S1, 3 a native of tropical America, now widespread in most tropical and subtropical regions.
Ecology
Altitude range 150–1310 m.
Vernacular
Qudha-ingress (Somali)
[FSOM]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 300–2000 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Bogotá DC, Boyacá, Cauca, Cundinamarca, Huila, Nariño, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, artificial - terrestrial.
[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
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 300 - 2000 m.; Andes, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[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
abrojo, almorrana, verdolaga, vidriosa
[UNAL]

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]

Vernacular
Verdolaga
[UPFC]

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

Morphology General Habit
Creeping herb
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
White flowers
Ecology
A common weed on dry ground.
[FWTA]

Uses

Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders
Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016).
[UPB]

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Common Names

English
Burweed, Khaki weed, Paper thorn

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 of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • 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

  • 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 2024. 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 2024. 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

  • Plants and People Africa

    • Common Names from Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com/
    • © Plants and People Africa http://www.plantsandpeopleafrica.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • 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