Sanguinaria (Alternanthera ficoidea)

Sanguinaria (Alternanthera ficoidea) is a species of plant in the Amaranthaceae, a flowering shrub, growing vertically and horizontally, with branches and forming dense tufts, cylindrical stems and white hairs, green or red in color, single root at the bottom.

A. ficoidea has oval or oval-round or narrow leaves, 1-6 cm long, 0.5-3 cm wide, fine-haired when young but later smooth, often variegated with bright red or brownish red or yellow or green or white and petiole 1-4 mm.







Sessile flowers, 3 outer and veined tepals, glossy white or yellowish, filaments united at the base into a very short cup.

The fruit is very similar to the inflorescence consisting of dense bracts interspersed with pale hairs. Fruit 1 mm, enclosed in perianth segments and persistent bracts. The seeds are disc-shaped, 1 mm in diameter and brown in color.

This species grows in full sun to partial shade, is flood resistant and drought tolerant. Prefers organic-rich, consistently moist and well-drained soil.

Plants contain tannins, saponins, phytol, carotenoids, xanthophills and polyphenols. Often used to remove kidney stones, inflammation of the uterus and ovaries, stop bleeding and hair tonic. This plant is mixed with other herbs to treat hepatitis, chest congestion, bronchitis, asthma and other lung problems. This species has potential as an antiviral agent. The leaves are sometimes eaten as a vegetable.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Subfamily: Gomphrenoideae
Genus: Alternanthera Forssk. in Fl. Aegypt.-Arab.: 28 (1775)
Species: Alternanthera ficoidea (L.) P.Beauv. in Fl. Oware 2: 66 (1818)

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Achyranthes ficoidea (L.) Lam. in Encycl. 1: 548 (1785)
Alternanthera polygonoides var. ficoidea (L.) M.Gómez in Anales Inst. Segunda Enseñ. 2: 313 (1896)
Bucholzia ficoidea (L.) Mart. in Nov. Gen. Sp. Pl. Bras. 2: 52 (1826)
Gomphrena ficoidea L. in Sp. Pl.: 225 (1753)
Steiremis ficoidea (L.) Raf. in Fl. Tellur. 3: 41 (1837)
Telanthera ficoidea (L.) Moq. in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 13(2): 363 (1849)
Illecebrum ficoideum (L.) L. in Sp. Pl., ed. 2.: 300 (1762)
Paronychia ficoidea (L.) Desf. in Tabl. École Bot.: 44 (1804)

HETEROTYPIC SYNONYMS

Alternanthera brachiata Moq. (1849)
Alternanthera diffusa (Mart.) Schacht in Lehrb. Anat. Physiol. Gew. 2: 259 (1859)
Alternanthera ficoidea var. brachiata (Moq.) Uline & W.L.Bray in Bot. Gaz. 20: 435 (1895)
Alternanthera ficoidea var. diffusa (Mart.) Kuntze in Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 539 (1891)
Alternanthera ficoidea var. erecta (Mart.) Pedersen in Darwiniana 14: 434 (1967)
Alternanthera ficoidea var. radicans (Mart.) Pedersen (1967)
Alternanthera polygonoides var. diffusa (Mart.) Hicken in Chlor. Plat. Argent.: 95 (1910)
Alternanthera polygonoides var. glabrescens Gris in Fl. Brit. W. I.: 67 (1859)
Alternanthera polygonoides var. radicans (Mart.) M.Gómez (1896)
Alternanthera tenella Colla in Mem. Reale Accad. Sci. Torino 23: 131 (1829)
Alternanthera triandra Steud. in Nomencl. Bot. 1: 33 (1821)
Bucholzia brachiata Schrad. ex Seub. in C.F.P.von Martius & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Bras. 5(1): 173 (1875)
Bucholzia diffusa Mart. (1826)
Bucholzia polygonoides var. diffusa Mart. (1826)
Bucholzia polygonoides var. erecta Mart. (1826)
Bucholzia polygonoides var. radicans Mart. (1826)
Telanthera polygonoides var. brachiata Moq. 364 (1849)
Telanthera polygonoides var. diffusa (Mart.) Moq. (1849)
Telanthera polygonoides var. radicans (Mart.) Moq. (1849)
Illecebrum tenellum (Colla) Moq. (1849)
Paronychia tenella (Colla) Desf. in Tabl. École Bot., ed. 3: 407 (1829)

PUBLICATIONS

Aung, Y.L., Aung, M.H., Tan, Y. & Jin, X. (2025). An updated checklist of
vascular plants of Myanmar. PhytoKeys 261: 135-364.

Barooah, C. & Ahmed, I. (2014). Plant diversity of Assam. A checklist of
Angiosperms and Gymnosperms: 1-599. Assam science technology and environment council, India.

Bayón, N.D., Giuliano, D.A. & Bahima, J.V. (2022). Revisión taxonómica de las especies de Alternanthera (Amaranthaceae) del cono sur (Argentina, sur de Brasil,
Chile, Paraguay y uruguay) y Bolivia. Annals from the Missouri Botanical Garden 107: 160-249. MBG press.

Govaerts, R. (1995). World Checklist of Seed Plants 1(1, 2): 1-483, 529. MIM, Deurne.

Hammel, B.E., Grayum, M.H., Herrera, C. & Zamora, N. (eds.) (2020). Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica 4(1): 1-904. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.

Lekhak, M.M. & Yadav, S.R. (2012). Herbacious vegetation of threatened high altitude lateritic plateau ecosystems of Western Ghats, southwestern Maharashtra, India. Rheedea 22: 39-61.

Lê, T.C. (2003). Danh lục các loài thực vật Việt Nam 2: 1-1203. Hà Nội : Nhà xuất bản Nông nghiệp.

Pedersen, T.M. (2016). Flora del Paraguay 46: 1-258. Editions des Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la ville de Genève.

Sykes, W.R. (2016). Flora of the Cook Islands: 1-973. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Hawaii.

Sánchez-del Pino, I., Espadas, C. & Pool, R. (2013). Taxonomy and richness of nine genera of Amaranthaceae s.s. (Caryophyllales) in the Yucatan peninsula biotic province. Phytotaxa 107: 1-74.

Zuloaga, F.O. & Belgrano, M.J. (eds.) (2020). Flora Argentina. Flora vascular de la República Argentina 19(1): 1-378. INTA, IMBIV & IBODA.

Zuloaga, F.O., Morrone, O. , Belgrano, M.J., Marticorena, C. & Marchesi, E. (eds.) (2008). Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares del Cono Sur. Monographs in
Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 107: 1-3348. Missouri Botanical Garden.

VERNACULAR NAME

Bengali: নান্থি শাক Nanthi shak, পালটে কেশুত Palte keshut, সালতে কেশুত Salte keshut
Chinese (simplified): 绿苋草
Chinese (traditional): 毛蓮子草
Dutch: Spitse Kruisbladmelde, Tengere Kruisbladmelde
English: Sanguinaria, Joseph's coat, Parrot leaf
Finnish: loistokaijalehti
French: Alternanthère ficoïde
Gujarati: Velro gorakh
Hindi: रेशमकथा Reshamkatha, रेशम कथा Resham Katha
Hungarian: Karcsú Papagájlevél
Indonesia: Sanggaria, Kriminil, Krokot hijau
Japanese: モヨウビユ
Java: Songgorio, Sanggaria, Kecicak abang
Kannada: Matsyakshi
Lithuanian: Gležnoji alstė
Malayalam: Ponnaankanni
Marathi: Kusal
Portuguese: Quebra-panela, espinafre-do-mato, manjerico
Russian: Альтернантера фикусовидная
Sanskrit: Matsyakshi
Sunda: Jukut jatinangor
Swedish: Papegojblad
Taiwan: 毛蓮子草
Tamil: சீமை பொன்னாங்கண்ணி Seemai ponnankanni
Telugu: Adavi punnaganti aalamu
Thai: พักเพชรแดง phakpet daeng, พรหมมีแดง phrommi daeng, พักเป็ตฝรั่ง phakpet farang
Tulu: Meenamkanni

Aryo Bandoro
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