Amaranthaceae
Smooth joyweed
Alternanthera paronychioides
- Family
- Amaranthaceae
- Genus
- Alternanthera
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Common names
By language (3)
- Chinese
- 匙叶莲子草, 匙葉蓮子草, 华莲子草, 星星虾钳菜, 美洲莲子草, 美洲虾钳菜
- English
- Smooth joyweed
- Thai
- ผักเป็ด
Synonyms
- Achyranthes chacoensis (Morong) Standl.
- Achyranthes paronychioides hort. ex Schinz
- Alternanthera achyrantha var. angustifolia Mart. ex Moq.
- Alternanthera amoena Voss ex K.Heyne
- Alternanthera austrotrinidadis (Ssgth.) Pedersen
- Alternanthera ficoidea var. normalis Kuntze
- Alternanthera leucantha Moq.
- Alternanthera paronychioides var. amazonica Huber
- Alternanthera paronychioides var. floribunda Hoehne
- Alternanthera paronychioides var. ovata Chodat
- Alternanthera polygonoides f. halimioides Suess.
- Alternanthera polygonoides f. pubescens Diogo
- Alternanthera polygonoides var. austrotrinitatis Suess.
- Alternanthera polygonoides var. ficoidea (L.) M.Gómez
- Alternanthera polygonoides var. glabrescens Griseb.
- Alternanthera polygonoides var. radicans (Moq.) M.Gómez
- Alternanthera virgata Spreng. ex Moq.
- Bucholzia polygonoides Mart.
- Telanthera polygonoides var. brachiata Moq.
- Telanthera polygonoides var. diffusa (Mart.) Moq.
- Teleianthera manillensis Walp.
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Lower 48 states: introduced, Lower 48 states: native, Puerto Rico: native, U.S. Virgin Islands: native
Photos
Photo: Prenn, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons Photo: Sumit Bhowmick, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Andrés González, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons Photo: luccas.cunha, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons Photo: Ornelas de Souza Tadeu, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons Photo: saddledhorse, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Yercaud-elango, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons Photo: arlas, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Yercaud-elango, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Len Worthington, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
More in Alternanthera
- Sessile joyweedAlternanthera sessilisAmaranthaceae
- Alligator weedAlternanthera philoxeroidesAmaranthaceae
- WasherwomanAlternanthera caracasanaAmaranthaceae
- CalicoplantAlternanthera bettzickianaAmaranthaceae
- Brazilian joyweedAlternanthera brasilianaAmaranthaceae
- KhakiweedAlternanthera pungensAmaranthaceae
- Alternanthera reineckiiAmaranthaceae
- Alternanthera echinocephalaAmaranthaceae
- Iresine radicataAlternanthera radicataAmaranthaceae
- SanguinariaAlternanthera ficoideaAmaranthaceae
- Three-leafed chaff flowerAlternanthera filifoliaAmaranthaceae
- Alternanthera corymbiformisAmaranthaceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.