Amaranthaceae FAMILY

Alternanthera brasiliana

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Alternanthera brasiliana is an erect, herbaceous plant that can grow up to 3 metres tall, but is usually less than 1 metre in cultivation[ 710 Title Tropical Flowering Plants. A Guide to Identification and Cultivation. Publication Author Llamas K.A. Publisher Timber Press; Oregon. Year 2003 ISBN 0-88192-585-3 Description A terse guide for the gardener to almost 1,500 species of ornamental tropical plants with brief details on their cultivation and, usually, a small photograph of good quality. ]. The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. It is often grown as an ornamental[ 617 Title Traditional Vegetables in Benin Publication Author Achigan-Dako E. Et al Publisher Darwin Initiative; International Foundation for Science Year 2009 ISBN Description Issued as a PDF on the Internet, it contains basic information on over 250 species of plants used for food in Benin. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeS. America - Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guyanas; C. America - Nicaragua, Belize, Guatemala to Mexico; Caribbean.

HabitatNaturalized around habitations, in waste lands and fallow land in west Africa[ 617 Title Traditional Vegetables in Benin Publication Author Achigan-Dako E. Et al Publisher Darwin Initiative; International Foundation for Science Year 2009 ISBN Description Issued as a PDF on the Internet, it contains basic information on over 250 species of plants used for food in Benin. ]. Moist, shaded localities on ravine slopes and stream banks, at elevations from 200 - 600 metres in Java[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. ].