Alternanthera philoxeroides |
|
---|---|
alligator weed, pig weed |
|
Habit | Herbs, perennial, aquatic to semiterrestrial, stoloniferous, to 50 dm. |
Stems | prostrate, forming mats, often fistulose, glabrous. |
Leaves | sessile; blade narrowly elliptic, elliptic, or oblanceolate, 3.5–7.1 × 0.5–2 cm, herbaceous, apex acute to obtuse, glabrous. |
Inflorescences | terminal and axillary, pedunculate; heads white, globose, 1.4–1.7 cm diam.; bracts not keeled, less than 1/2 as long as tepals. |
Flowers | tepals monomorphic, white, lanceolate or oblong, 6 mm, apex acute, glabrous; stamens 5; pseudostaminodes ligulate. |
Seeds | not seen. |
Utricles | not seen. |
Alternanthera philoxeroides |
|
Phenology | Flowering early spring–summer. |
Habitat | Ponds, ditches, streams, bayous |
Elevation | 0-200 m (0-700 ft) |
Distribution |
AL; AR; CA; FL; GA; IL; KY; LA; MS; NC; SC; TN; TX; VA; West Indies; native to South America [Introduced in North America]
|
Discussion | Alternanthera philoxerioides is said to reproduce only vegetatively in North America. I have seen no fruit or seed. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 4, p. 448. |
Parent taxa | |
Sibling taxa | |
Synonyms | Bucholzia philoxeroides, Achyranthes philoxeroides |
Name authority | (Martius) Grisebach: Abh. Königl. Ges. Wiss. Göttingen 24: 36. (1879) |
Web links |