Amaranthaceae FAMILY

Alternanthera sessilis

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Alternanthera sessilis is an erect, ascending or creeping herbaceous plant that is usually perennial, though sometimes annual, growing up to 1 metre tall[ 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. ]. The plant is often widely branched, and has a robust taproot[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. The plant is often harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine[ 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. ]. The leaves are often sold in local markets in Benin and Sri Lanka[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of 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. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangePantropical.

HabitatWaste and cultivated ground, especially in damp or wet conditions[ 287 Title Flora of Pakistan Publication Author Website http://www.efloras.org Publisher Year ISBN Description As of 2006, there is not much information on habitats available, but it is being developed and promises to be an excellent resource. ]. Moist shady places at elevations up to 2,400 metres in Nepal[ 272 Title Plants and People of Nepal Publication Author Manandhar. N. P. Publisher Timber Press. Oregon. Year 2002 ISBN 0-88192-527-6 Description Excellent book, covering over 1,500 species of useful plants from Nepal together with information on the geography and peoples of Nepal. Good descriptions of the plants with terse notes on their uses. ].