(Last Modified On 1/28/2013)
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(Last Modified On 1/28/2013)
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Species
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ALTEERNANTHERA SESSILTS (L.) R. Br.
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PlaceOfPublication
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Prodr. 417. 1810.
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Synonym
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Gomphrena sessilis L. Sp. P1. 225. 1753. Illecebrum sessile L. Sp. P1. ed. 2:300. 1762. Illecebrum indicum Houtt. Nat. Hist. 2:7. 1777. Alternanthera triandra Lam. Encycl. 1:95. 1783. Alternanthera denticulata R. Br. Prodr. 417. 1810. Alternanthera nodiflora R. Br. loc. cit. 417. 1810. Allaganthera forskalli Mart. P1. Hort. Erlang. 69. 1814. Paronychia sessilis Desf. Tabl. Bot. ed. 2:54. 1815. Adenogramma oppositifolia Hassk. in Flora 31:754. 1851. Alternanthera tenuissisa Suesseng. in Bot. Arch. 39:382. 1939.
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Description
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Prostrate or decumbent puberulent or glabrous annuals or perennials, the sparsely branched stems to 60 cm. long. Leaves glabrous or sparsely villous below, elliptic, apically acute and mucronate, basally cuneate to attenuate, 1-4 cm. long, 0.5-1.5 cm. broad; petioles 1-5 mm. long, often winged. Inflorescences of white or pinkish globose heads, 2-4 mm. long, 2-4 mm. broad, sessile in the axils. Flowers perfect, the bracts and bracteoles subequal, acute, 1 mm. long or less; sepals 5, subequal, transparent, not indurate, 1-nerved, slightly concave, 1-1.5 mm. long; stamens 5, united below into a short tube, the pseudostaminodia entire, exceeded by the anthers, about equaling the filaments; ovary obovoid, style 1, 3-4 times as long as the minute capitate stigma. Fruit an indehiscent obcordate yellowish utricle, 1.5-2 nam. long, usually slightly exceeding the sepals; seeds yel- lowish or reddish brown, cochleate-orbicular, 1-1.2 mm. broad.
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Distribution
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This pan-tropical weed seems to range from Honduras to Brazil in the Amer- icas.
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Note
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It inhabits open moist areas and may growv as an aquatic, in which case the vegetative portions are unusually large.
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