Alternanthera

Contains 9 accepted taxa overall.

Characteristics
Alternanthera Forssk.
AMARANTHACEAE
JOYWEED
Classification
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CARYOPHYLLALES
Alternanthera
Citation
ALTERNANTHERA Forsskal, Fl. Aegypt.-Arab. lix, 28. 1775.
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TYPE: Alternanthera achyranthes Forsskal
Species
Scientific Name Common Name Status Photos
Alternanthera brasiliana BRAZILIAN JOYWEED Not Native
Alternanthera caracasana WASHERWOMAN Not Native
Alternanthera ficoidea SLENDER JOYWEED Not Native
Alternanthera flavescens YELLOW JOYWEED Native UPL (NWPL)
Alternanthera maritima SEASIDE JOYWEED Native FACW (DEP)
Alternanthera paronichyoides SMOOTH JOYWEED Not Native FAC (DEP)
Alternanthera philoxeroides ALLIGATORWEED Not Native OBL (NWPL) Y OBL (DEP)
Alternanthera pungens KHAKIWEED Not Native
Alternanthera sessilis SESSILE JOYWEED Not Native OBL (NWPL) OBL (DEP)
[Family identification key]
1.  Inflorescence pedunculate
2
1.  Inflorescence sessile to subsessile
4
2.  Leaves sessile, the blade apex subacute to rounded; bracts not keeled; tepals glabrous
A. philoxeroides
2.  Leaves mostly petiolate, the blade apex acute to acuminate; bracts keeled; tepals pilose
3
3.  Young stems and leaves villous; bracts slightly shorter to subequal to tepals
A. brasiliana
3.  Young stems and leaves pubescent, strigose, to glabrous; bracts <½ the length of tepals
A. flavescens
4.  Tepals dimorphic, the tip spinose, hairs barbed
5
4.  Tepas monomorphic, not spinose, hairs not barbed
6
5.  Leaf blades longer than wide; tepals 3-5 mm long, weakly spinose-tipped, densely villous; pseudostaminode margin dentate
A. caracasana
5.  Leaf blades often as wide as long; tepals 5-7 mm long, strongly spinose-tipped, sparsely villous; pseudostaminode margin dentate
A. pungens
6.  Pseudostaminode margin entire, dentate, to laciniate
7
6.  Pseudostaminode margin fimbriate
8
7.  Young stems and leaves villous; mature fruit included within tepals
A. paronichyoides
7.  Young stems and leaves glabrate; mature fruit expanded beyond the tepals
A. sessilis
8.  Young stems pubescent; leaves not succulent; tepals chartaceous, pilose to hispid
A. ficoidea
8.  Young stems glabrous; leaves semi-succulent; tepals rigid, glabrous
A. maritima