View source for Alternanthera

{{Treatment/ID
|accepted_name=Alternanthera
|accepted_authority=Forsskål
|publications={{Treatment/Publication
|title=Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.,
|place=28. 1775
|year=1775
}}
|basionyms=
|synonyms=
|hierarchy=Amaranthaceae;Alternanthera
|hierarchy_nav=<div class="higher-taxa"><div class="higher-taxon"><small>family</small>[[Amaranthaceae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>genus</small>[[Alternanthera]]</div></div>
|etymology=Latin alternans, alternating, and anthera, anther, referring to the alternation of pseudostaminodes and stamens
|volume=Volume 4
|mention_page=page 406, 435
|treatment_page=page 447
}}<!--

--><span class="statement" id="st-undefined" data-properties=""><b>Herbs </b>or subshrubs, annual or perennial. <b>Stems</b> prostrate, decumbent, ascending, erect, or floating, indumentum of simple trichomes. <b>Leaves</b> opposite, sessile or petiolate; blade lanceolate to ovate, ovate-rhombic, or obovate-rhombic, margins entire. <b>Inflorescences</b> axillary or terminal, sessile or pedunculate, several-flowered cylindric spikes or globose heads, without immediately subtending leaves; bracts and bracteoles scarious. <b>Flowers</b> bisexual; tepals 5, distinct; stamens 3–5; filaments connate basally into tube or short cup; pseudostaminodes 5, alternating with stamens; ovule 1; style 1, ca. 0.2 mm; stigma capitate or rarely 2-lobed. <b>Utricles</b> compressed, ovoid or obovoid, indehiscence. <b>Seeds</b> 1, reddish brown, lenticular or ovoid-oblong.</span><!--

-->{{Treatment/Body
|distribution=Primarily American tropics and subtropics;some in Asia;Africa;and Australia.
|discussion=<p>Species ca. 80 (9 in the flora).</p>
|tables=
|references={{Treatment/Reference
|id=mears1978a
|text=Mears, J. A. 1978. The nomenclature and type collections of the widespread taxa of Alternanthera (Amaranthaceae). Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 129: 1–21.
}}
}}<!--

--><div class="treatment-key">
==Key==
<div class="treatment-key-group">
  
{| class="wikitable fna-keytable"
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Inflorescences pedunculate, terminal and axillary
|[[#key-0-2| > 2]]
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Inflorescences sessile, axillary
|[[#key-0-4| > 4]]
|-id=key-0-2
|2
|Bracts not keeled; tepals glabrous
|[[Alternanthera philoxeroides|Alternanthera philoxeroides]]
|-id=key-0-2
|2
|Bracts keeled; tepals pilose
|[[#key-0-3| > 3]]
|-id=key-0-3
|3
|Bracts shorter than to equaling tepals
|[[Alternanthera brasiliana|Alternanthera brasiliana]]
|-id=key-0-3
|3
|Bracts less than 1/2 as long as tepals
|[[Alternanthera flavescens|Alternanthera flavescens]]
|-id=key-0-4
|4
|Pseudostaminode margins fimbriate; anthers 5, oblong
|[[#key-0-5| > 5]]
|-id=key-0-4
|4
|Pseudostaminode margins laciniate, dentate or, entire; anthers 3-5, globose
|[[#key-0-6| > 6]]
|-id=key-0-5
|5
|Tepals rigid, margins coriaceous, glabrous; leaves succulent
|[[Alternanthera maritima|Alternanthera maritima]]
|-id=key-0-5
|5
|Tepals not rigid, margins chartaceous, pilose or hispid; leaves not succulent
|[[Alternanthera ficoidea|Alternanthera ficoidea]]
|-id=key-0-6
|6
|Tepals monomorphic, hairs not barbed
|[[#key-0-7| > 7]]
|-id=key-0-6
|6
|Tepals dimorphic, hairs barbed
|[[#key-0-8| > 8]]
|-id=key-0-7
|7
|Mature fruit exerted between tepals
|[[Alternanthera sessilis|Alternanthera sessilis]]
|-id=key-0-7
|7
|Mature fruit included within tepals
|[[Alternanthera paronychioides|Alternanthera paronychioides]]
|-id=key-0-8
|8
|Tepals 5-7 mm, sparsely villous; leaf blades usually as broad as long; pseudostaminode margins dentate
|[[Alternanthera pungens|Alternanthera pungens]]
|-id=key-0-8
|8
|Tepals 3-5 mm, densely villous; leaf blades longer than broad; pseudostaminode margins usually entire
|[[Alternanthera caracasana|Alternanthera caracasana]]
|}
</div></div><!--

-->{{#Taxon:
name=Alternanthera
|author=Steven E. Clemants
|authority=Forsskål
|rank=genus
|parent rank=family
|synonyms=
|basionyms=
|family=Amaranthaceae
|distribution=Primarily American tropics and subtropics;some in Asia;Africa;and Australia.
|reference=mears1978a
|publication title=Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.,
|publication year=1775
|special status=
|source xml=https://jpend@bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-data-curation.git/src/9216fc802291cd3df363fd52122300479582ede7/coarse_grained_fna_xml/V4/V4_877.xml
|genus=Alternanthera
}}<!--

-->[[Category:Treatment]][[Category:Amaranthaceae]]