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Electronic Flora of South Australia genus Fact Sheet

Family: Amaranthaceae
Alternanthera

Citation: Forsskål, Fl. Aegypt.-Arab. 28 (1775).

Derivation: Latin alternus, alternate; anthera, anthers; filaments without anthers often alternate with fertile stamens.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: None

Description:
Annual or perennial herbs with prostrate, erect or ascending stems and opposite leaves.

Flowers small, bisexual, in short dense sessile axillary spikes; bracts and bracteoles small; perianth-segments 5, acute to acuminate, scarious and variously hardening after flowering, usually white; stamens 5, united in a short cup at the base, 2 or 3 often without anthers; anthers small, 1-celled; style very short or 0, stigma capitate.

Fruit indehiscent, obovoid, compressed; pericarp membranous; seed vertical.

Distribution:  About 200 species in warmer parts of the world. (A. S. George in Jessop (1981) FI. Central Aust. 83-84). Joyweeds.

Biology: No text

Key to Species:
1. Leaves and branches pubescent
 
2. Bracts and perianth-segments pungent-pointed
A. pungens 5.
2. Bracts and perianth-segments acute
A. nana 3.
1. Leaves glabrous or sparsely tomentose with hairs restricted to the margin and midrib; branches glabrous or with hairs restricted to nodes and/or 2 lines along the branches
 
3. Perianth-segments woolly in the lower half
A. angustifolia 1.
3. Perianth-segments glabrous
 
4. Flower spikes usually 0.5-1 cm diam.; perianth-segments 2-3 mm long, acute or shortly acuminate
A. denticulata 2.
4. Flower spikes usually 1-2 cm diam.; perianth-segments 4-5 mm long, long-acuminate
A. nodiflora 4.

Author: Not yet available


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