Alternanthera ficoidea (L.) P. Beauv.
Alternanthera ficoidea 'Snow on the Mountain' (Cultivated)
FLOWERING PLANTS OF INDIA, DICOTYLEDONS, Vol-I (Acanthaceae-Avicenniaceae) authored by S. Karthikeyan, M. Sanjappa and S. Moorthy and published by BSI, Kolkata in 2009 is an important document for names, authority and distribution of Amaranthaceae species in India. As per this document (Karthikeyan et al., 2009) following species of Alternanthera occur in India:
Scrutiny of these names in The Plant List indicates that some are synonyms.
Species with description & pictures in Flowers of India as on 27.4.14:
Indian Herbal Remedies: Rational Western Therapy, Ayurvedic, and Other ... edited by C.P. Khare (2004)- Great details- Mansfeld's Encyclopedia of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops ..., Volume 4 By Peter Hanelt, Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (2001)- Details- Aquatic and Semi-aquatic Plants of the Lower Ganga Delta: Its Taxonomy ... By Kumudranjan Naskar (1990)- Details- Flora of Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, India (2000)- Details with keys- Vegetables edited by G. J. H. Grubben (2004)- Details- Flora of Medak District, Andhra Pradesh, India By T. Pullaiah, Chintala Prabhakar, B. Ravi Prasad Rao (1998)- Details with keys- Underutilized and Underexploited Horticultural Crops, Volume 2 (2007)- Details- Invasive Alien Plants: An Ecological Appraisal for the Indian Subcontinent By J.R. Bhatt, J.S. Singh, S.P. Singh, R.S. Tripathi and R.K. Kohli (2011)- Details- Flora of Davanagere District, Karnataka, India By B. K. Manjunatha, V. Krishna, T. Pullaiah (2004)- Details- CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants: Common Names ... By Umberto Quattrocchi (2012)- Details- Encyclopaedia of world medicinal plants, Volume 1 By T. Pullaiah (2006)- Details- Plant Wealth of the Lower Ganga Delta: An Eco-taxonomical Approach, Volume 2 By Kumudranjan Naskar (1993)- Details with keys- Gardening in India By George Marshall Woodrow, G Marshall (1999)- Details- p.82- Trying to keep it as simple as possible (but also fearing technical differences may get blurred) for easy identification: 1. Inflorescence a head on raised stalk 2. Plants with thick reddish leaves, atleast ¾ as broad as long; cultivated as hedge/border plant ...........................1. A. brasileana (incl. A. dentata) 2. Leaves not reddish, less than ½ as broad as long; wild plant of moist or aquatic habitats. ..................................2. A.philoxeroides. 1. Inflorescence a sessile head in leaf axils 3. Plants prostrate, mat-forming 4. Leaves atleast ¾ as broad as long, stems and leaves rigid; flowers (tepals) spine-tipped …...................3. A. pungens 4. Leaves usually less than ½ as broad as long, stems and leaves soft; flowers (tepals) not spin-tipped …4. A. paronychoides 3. Plants erect or spreading not mat-forming 5. Leaves sessile, linear or narrowly oblanceolate; plant of moist or wet situations ………...................… 5. A. sessilis 5. Leaves with distinct petiole; mostly cultivated 6. Leaves green or tinged with purple; mostly oblanceolate, gradually narrowed into petiole, less than ½ as broad as long ………………………............................................................................................................….6. A. bettzickiana (incl. A. amoena and A. versicolor) 6. Leaves green, not tinged with purple; mostly elliptic-ovate, more than ½ as broad as long, more sharply narrowed into short petiole…………………..……………..................................................................................................................7. A. ficoidea No decision/information yet on A. pulchella, although it is listed on the net profusely. Alternanthera : 3 posts by 2 authors. I have updated eFI (efloraofindia) page on Alternanthera Attempts have been made to incorporate most of the species available in India & nearby areas with details & keys directly or through links as far as possible. It’s quite possible that there may be some discrepancy in the accepted names & synonyms taken from other links. Species discussed so far in efloraofindia are given at the bottom of the page in the form of links against Subpages. On clicking them one can see all the details. If someone can provide complete list of Indian species with source references it will be wonderful. Any comments/ corrections are welcome. I have added the list of Indian species based on Karthikeyan et al. (2009). Thanks, ... Species at other links seems to match with it. Re: completed insertion of identified species of Alternanthera : 1 post by 1 author. Alternanthera page with images of species in efloraofindia : 1 post by 1 author. Pl. go through Alternanthera page with images of species (mainly done by Bhagyashri ji) in efloraofindia. If you find any mis-identification, pl. let us know. If anybody can send images of other species of this genera (for incorporation in the website), if any, it will be really nice. Also, if anybody is interested to take up the activity of inserting images on efloraofindia pages from efloraofindia posts, pl. let us know. |
Alternanthera
Subpages (13):
Alternanthera bettzickiana ?
Alternanthera bettzickiana
Alternanthera brasiliana
Alternanthera ficoidea ?
Alternanthera ficoidea
Alternanthera ficoidea 'Snow on the Mountain' (Cultivated)
Alternanthera paronychioides
Alternanthera philoxeroides ?
Alternanthera philoxeroides
Alternanthera pungens
Alternanthera sessilis
Alternanthera species ?
Alternanthera species
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