Amaranthaceae FAMILY

Alternanthera bettzickiana

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Alternanthera bettzickiana is a herbaceous perennial plant, often with variegated leaves, growing 20 - 80cm tall[ 369 Title Flora of Costa Rica Publication Author Standley P.C. Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Field Museum of Natural History; Chicago Year 1938 ISBN Description Rather dated, but an excellent treatment of the area. Available for download from the internet. ]. The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for its edible leaves. It is widely grown as an ornamental in tropical and subtropical gardens, being valued especially for the colourfully variegated leaves[ 317 Title Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants Publication Author Website http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Terse details of a huge range of useful plants. , 369 Title Flora of Costa Rica Publication Author Standley P.C. Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Field Museum of Natural History; Chicago Year 1938 ISBN Description Rather dated, but an excellent treatment of the area. Available for download from the internet. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeProbably originated in Brazil, but widely cultivated and found through much of the tropics and subtropics.

HabitatProbably unknown as a truly wild plant, it sometimes escapes from cultivation and is found in open, sunny sites at elevations up to 2,000 metres[ 369 Title Flora of Costa Rica Publication Author Standley P.C. Website http://www.archive.org/ Publisher Field Museum of Natural History; Chicago Year 1938 ISBN Description Rather dated, but an excellent treatment of the area. Available for download from the internet. ].