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Alternanthera pungens

Kunth (1818)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-CoreEudicot Order: Caryophyllales Family: Amaranthaceae Genus: Alternanthera

khaki weed

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Perennial herbs.

Stems: Stems prostrate, rarely ascending, sometimes rooting at the nodes, 1–5 dm long, pilose, the hairs multicellular.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite. Blades ovate to obovate, 0.5–4.5 cm long, 0.3–2 cm wide. Surfaces glabrous to sparsely appressed pilose. Margins entire. Petioles 2–10 mm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in sessile, sparsely pubescent spikes. Flowers bisexual (perfect), actinomorphic. Each flower subtended by a bract and 2 bracteoles. Bract ca. 4 mm long, tipped with a spine 2–3 mm long, bracteoles 3–4 mm long, acute. Calyx of 5 sepals, unequal, the 2 abaxial ones 4–5 mm long, spine-tipped, the spine usually more than 2 mm long, other sepals not spine-tipped. Corolla (petals) absent. Stamens 5, all fertile. Ovary superior, 2–3(4)-carpellate, the carpels connate to form a compound, 1-celled ovary; ovule placentation basal, free-central, or rarely apical; style 1, often lobed.

Fruit: Utricles 1.2–1.5 mm long; enclosed by the sepals. Seeds 1 per fruit; the surface usually lustrous; endosperm essentially absent.

Ploidy: 2n = 64

Habitat: Beach parks and other low elevation; dry; disturbed areas.

Elevation Range: 0–2700 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Naturalized
Kaho'olawe Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: F.W.H.von Humboldt, A.J.A.Bonpland & C.S.Kunth, Nov. Gen. Sp. 2: 206 (1818)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:183 (O, Mo, H); Lorence & Flynn 1999:3 (K); Oppenheimer & Bartlett 2000:1 (WM); Oppenheimer & Bartlett 2002:2 (L); Starr et al. 2002:17 (EM); Starr & Starr 2015a:23 (EM [high elev record], Ka)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Alternanthera pungens University of Hawaii campus, Honolulu; Manoa Stream In disturbed area. Preserved_Specimen Prostrate herb. Herbst, D.R. 5256 Oahu BISH 1975-03-12
2 Alternanthera pungens East Maui, Wailuku District, N side of Hana Hwy., W of Kanaha Pond Growing in an empty lot. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 119810 Maui BISH 1998-11-02
3 Alternanthera pungens East Maui, Makawao District, Haile Maile, next to pineapple packaging building Preserved_Specimen Prostrate herb; stem pubescent; flowers in axillary, head-like sessile spikes, outer sepals and bracts spine tipped (>2mm long). Starr, F. 6081 Maui BISH 2000-06-08
4 Alternanthera pungens Kapapa, Oahu. In center of islet Preserved_Specimen Occasional. Mixed in with other plants in center of islet. Starr, F. 5041832 Oahu BISH 2005-04-18
5 Alternanthera pungens Kaunakakai; Pau Hana Inn Growing as a weed along the sidewalks around town and in lawn. Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 2374 Molokai BISH 1985-04-23
6 Alternanthera pungens Queen's Beach off of Kalanianaole Hwy (Hwy 72) Preserved_Specimen Wagner, W.L. 4807 Oahu BISH 1983-06-04
7 Alternanthera pungens Kaunakakai along main road Preserved_Specimen Occasional prostrate weed. Corn, C. Molokai BISH 1979-05-13
8 Alternanthera pungens Kaumalapau Harbor Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 109916 Lanai BISH 1999-10-24
9 Alternanthera pungens Barber's Pt.; beach park adjacent to Campbell Industrial Park Lawn. Preserved_Specimen Prostrate herb rooting at nodes. Herbst, D.R. 5504 Oahu BISH 1975-10-07
10 Alternanthera pungens Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Marnie Oahu BISH 1987-10-30
11 Alternanthera pungens Halekala National Park, Leileiwi Overlook, by parking lot, in crack. Subalpine shrubland/roadside with Sophora chrysophylla and Coprosma montana. Preserved_Specimen Only 1 plant but had seeds. Naturalized. Starr, F. 13080106 Maui BISH 2013-08-01
12 Alternanthera pungens Former Naval Air Station Barbers Point, Northern Trap & Skeet Range Roadside along Coral Sea Road. With Amaranthus spinosus, Boerhavia sp. and grasses. Preserved_Specimen Rangy decumbent herb, stems 40 cm long. BISH staff 117 Oahu BISH 2021-04-17
13 Alternanthera pungens Kaena Pt.; near end of Farrington Hwy Beach. Ground-dweller; (nat) common. Preserved_Specimen Lennstrom, H. 19941 Oahu BISH 1994-01-02
14 Alternanthera pungens Kapapa Islet, Kaneohe Bay Raised coral reef w/shallow, sandy soil. Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 6137 Oahu BISH 1978-05-24
15 Alternanthera pungens Along coastal and inland trail Puuhonua o Honaunau National Historic Park Trail through scrub area. Predominantly exotic vegetation. Area highly modified by ancient Polynesians. Preserved_Specimen Higashino, P.K. 10254 Hawaii BISH 1984-04-07
16 Alternanthera pungens Kapiolani Park, Waikiki, Honolulu Parkway under ironwood trees; in ground cover w/grass and Synedrella nodiflora; Preserved_Specimen Low mat-forming weed; infl tiny, white, spiny-looking heads. Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1964-01-25
17 Alternanthera pungens University of Hawaii campus, Honolulu In lawn. Preserved_Specimen Wagner, W.L. 5088 Oahu BISH 1983-11-15
18 Alternanthera pungens W Maui, Lahaina District, Mailepai, along Honoapiilani Hwy., N of Kahana Kai Bridge near gate to pineapple fields Common roadside weed. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 89909 Maui BISH 1999-08-06
19 Alternanthera pungens Honokanaia, around buildings at base camp. Lowland dry non-native with Prosopis pallida, Pennisetum ciliaris. Preserved_Specimen A few plants around camp by barracks. Naturalized. Starr, F. 13121801 Kahoolawe BISH 2013-12-18
20 Alternanthera pungens Honolulu: Magellan St., below Punchbowl Dry area. Preserved_Specimen Plant prostrate, much branched, leaf pairs unequal; seed case round, shorter than calyx; flw heads thorny. Uehara, S. Oahu BISH 1959-06-18
21 Alternanthera pungens Kahului Airport, behind fire station Scattered here and there. Preserved_Specimen Prostrate herb a few cm to 0.5 m across; stem pubescent; leaves green, held parallel to ground; flowers green; fruits aging brown. Starr, F. 3231 Maui BISH 2000-03-23
22 Alternanthera pungens Wailuku District, Waikapu, near parking lot at intersection of Rte. 30 and 31 Roadside weed. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 89940 Maui BISH 1999-08-28
23 Alternanthera pungens East Maui, Wailuku District, S side of Hana Hwy., S of Kanaha Pond Roadside weed. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 119811 Maui BISH 1998-11-02
24 Alternanthera pungens Honolulu, Manoa Valley area, 3115 Kaloaluiki Place Cultivated in garden of Alice Kadowaki. Preserved_Specimen Diffuse herb with lax stems; flw heads purple-red. Kadowaki, A. 774 Oahu BISH 1992-01-25
25 Alternanthera pungens Kaunakakai; Pau Hana Inn In lawn. Preserved_Specimen Extremely spiny weed, prostrate. Floral bracts glabrous, pale stramineous, upper surface of leaves pale dull green when fresh. Hobdy, R.W. 2306 Molokai BISH 1985-03-20
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