Skip to main content

Sanguinaria (Alternanthera ficoidea)

Dlium 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
Dlium TheDlium
Web: https://www.dlium.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dlium
Labels:

Popular Posts

Serrated pimpernel (Lindernia glandulifera)

Serrated pimpernel ( Lindernia glandulifera ) is a species of plant in the Linderniaceae family, erect, 8-9 cm long.and white roots. The stems are cylindrical or angular or curved inward. The stems green or dark red or reddish brown. The leaves are opposite, green or dark red or brown, oval or oblong, up to 3 cm long, up to 1 cm wide and serrated margins. The flowers are white and blue, 0.6-0.7 cm wide. This plant grows in colonies in karst areas, clay soils, and areas that are sometimes flooded. TAXON Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Linderniaceae Genus: Lindernia All. in Auct. Syn. Meth. Stirp. Hort. Regii Taur. 3: 178 (1766) Species: Lindernia glandulifera (Blume) Backer in Onkruidfl. Jav. Suikerrietgr.: 616 (1930) VERNACULAR NAME English: Serrated pimpernel Indonesia: Tapak gergaji Java: Tapak graji Aryo Bandoro Dlium TheDlium Web: https://www.dlium.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dlium
Read more

Cockspur coral tree (Erythrina crista-galli)

Velvet coral tree or cockspur coral tree ( Erythrina crista-galli ) is a species of plant in the Fabaceae family. It is a small tree, 5-8 meters tall, with a trunk circumference of about 50 cm, irregular branches, light wood, and fissured, soft, and light brown bark. The taproot is white. The leaves are ovate, with three strands, dark green and glossy on the upper surface, and pale green on the underside. The central lobe is up to 17 cm long and up to 11 cm wide. The left and right lobes are up to 15 cm long and up to 10 cm wide. The flowers are red, arranged in racemes, at the apex, pentameric, complete, and bilaterally symmetrical. The flowers are up to 6 cm long and 4 cm wide. The pods are long, containing about 8 seeds, green when young and turning brown as they mature. The seeds are ovate, flat, and brown. It grows well in lowlands up to an elevation of 1,500 meters, with an annual rainfall of 800-1,500 mm/year, and a temperature of 20-32°C. It thrives in well-drained soils, but...
Read more

Tanglehead (Heteropogon contortus)

Tanglehead ( Heteropogon contortus ) is a species of Poaceae, an erect grass, up to 65 cm tall, with leaves up to 13 cm long and 0.5 cm wide. The inflorescence is at the top and hairy. The tip is black. This plant forms dense colonies in forests, agricultural lands, roadsides, and abandoned areas. TAXON : Kingdom: Plantae Phylum: Tracheophyta Subphylum: Angiospermae Class: Liliopsida Order: Poales Family: Poaceae Subfamily: Panicoideae Tribe: Andropogoneae Subtribe: Anthistiriinae Genus: Heteropogon Pers. in Syn. Pl. 2: 533 (1807) Species: Heteropogon contortus (L.) P.Beauv. in J.J.Roemer & J.A.Schultes, Syst. Veg., ed. 15[bis]. 2: 836 (1817) HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS : Andropogon contortus L. in Sp. Pl.: 1045 (1753) Heteropogon contortus var. hirtus Hack. in C.F.P.von Martius & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Bras. 2(3): 267 (1883) Heteropogon hirtus Pers. (1807) Holcus contortus (L.) Stuck. in Anales Mus. Nac. Buenos Aires, ser. 3, 4: 48 (1904) Sorghum contortum (L.) Kuntze in Revis. Gen. ...
Read more