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biodiversity explorer

the web of life in southern Africa

Genus: Alternanthera

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Core Eudicots > Order: Caryophyllales > Family: Amaranthaceae > Subfamily: Gomphrenoideae

About 100 species, native mainly to the New World tropics and subtropics; four species have become naturalised in southern Africa and a further two species are cultivated in the region.

Species naturalised in southern Africa

List from Plants of Southern Africa - an Online Checklist (SANBI), Flora of Zimbabwe and Flora of Mozambique.

Alternanthera caracasana

See Flora of Zimbabwe.

 

Alternanthera nodiflora

See Flora of Zimbabwe.

 

Alternanthera pungens

See Flora of Zimbabwe.

 

Alternanthera sessilis

See Flora of Zimbabwe.

 

Other species, cultivated in southern Africa

List from Glen (2002).

Alternanthera dentata

 

Alternanthera ficoidea (Jacob's coat)

 

Publications

  • Glen, H.F. 2002. Cultivated Plants of Southern Africa. Jacana, Johannesburg.