2335.000 Alternanthera Forssk.

Description of the genus

Annual or perennial herbs with entire, opposite leaves. Inflorescences of axillary heads or short spikes, bracteate. Flowers bisexual, solitary in the axil of each bract, subtended by 2 bracteoles. Tepals 5, glabrous and 1-nerved or barbed-pilose and 3-nerved, free, equal or unequal. Stamens 2-5, alternating with pseudostaminodes. Fruit an indehiscent capsule.

Derivation of name: alterno - anthera; alternate flowers

Worldwide: c. 200 species, mainly in the New World tropics; some worldwide weeds

Alternanthera caracasana

Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesLinks to mapsFZ divisionsContent
caracasana KunthN,W,CDescription, Image
nodiflora R. Br.N,W,C,SImage
pungens KunthN,W,C,E,SDescription, Image
sessilis (L.) DC.N,W,C,E,SDescription, Image

Key to Species

Display key

Other sources of information about Alternanthera:

Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Alternanthera page
Flora of Mozambique: Alternanthera
ePIC (electronic Plant Information Center): Alternanthera
Flora Zambesiaca web site: Alternanthera
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) taxonomy for plants report for Alternanthera
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Alternanthera
Kew Herbarium catalogue: Alternanthera

Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten and Petra Ballings, 2002-13

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T. & Ballings, P. (2013). Flora of Zimbabwe: Genus page: Alternanthera.
http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=539, retrieved 19 May 2013

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