Amaranthaceae
Khakiweed
Alternanthera pungens
- Family
- Amaranthaceae
- Genus
- Alternanthera
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Common names
By language (8)
- Afrikaans
- Kakiedubbeltjie
- Chinese
- 刺花莲子草, 刺花蓮子草, 空心莲子草
- dag
- Gotaba
- English
- Khakiweed, Chaff flower, Khaki weed, Paronychia achyrantha, Steiremis repens
- Kannada
- ಮಿರ್ಜಾ ಮುಳ್ಳು
- Malayalam
- മുൾപ്പൊന്നാങ്കണ്ണി
- Swedish
- Stickalternant
- Tamil
- முள்ளுக்கண்ணி
Synonyms
- Achyranthes leiantha (Seub.) Standl.
- Achyranthes lorentzii (Uline) Standl.
- Achyranthes mucronata Lam.
- Achyranthes nivea Link
- Achyranthes obovata Pav. ex Moq.
- Achyranthes radicans Cav.
- Achyranthes repens L.
- Alternanthera achyrantha R.Br. ex Sweet
- Alternanthera achyrantha var. echinata (Sm.) Maiden
- Alternanthera achyrantha var. leiantha Seub.
- Alternanthera achyrantha var. pungens (Kunth) Suess.
- Alternanthera ciliata Poepp. ex Seub.
- Alternanthera echinata Sm.
- Alternanthera leiantha (Seub.) Alain
- Alternanthera lorentzii Uline
- Alternanthera procumbens Rojas Acosta
- Alternanthera pungens f. pauciflora Suess.
- Alternanthera pungens var. leiantha (Seub.) Suess.
- Alternanthera pungens var. monocephala (O.Bolòs & A.Marcos) O.Bolòs & Vigo
- Alternanthera repens (L.) Link
- Alternanthera repens f. monocephala Bolus & Marcos
- Alternanthera thomensis Gand.
- Bucholzia spinescens Gillies ex Moq.
- Celosia echinata Humb. & Bonpl. ex Roem. & Schult.
- Desmochaeta sordida Bunbury
- Guilleminea procumbens Rojas Acosta
- Illecebrum achyrantha L.
- Illecebrum pungens Spreng.
- Pityranthus crassifolius Mart.
- Pupalia sordida (Bunbury) Moq.
- Telanthera pungens Moq.
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, Puerto Rico: introduced
Photos
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Harry Rose from South West Rocks, Australia, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Harry Rose from South West Rocks, Australia, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Harry Rose from South West Rocks, Australia, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Harry Rose from South West Rocks, Australia, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Harry Rose from South West Rocks, Australia, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Harry Rose from South West Rocks, Australia, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Harry Rose from South West Rocks, Australia, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: linkie, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: kbkash, CC0, from Wikimedia Commons
More in Alternanthera
- Sessile joyweedAlternanthera sessilisAmaranthaceae
- Alligator weedAlternanthera philoxeroidesAmaranthaceae
- WasherwomanAlternanthera caracasanaAmaranthaceae
- CalicoplantAlternanthera bettzickianaAmaranthaceae
- Brazilian joyweedAlternanthera brasilianaAmaranthaceae
- Smooth joyweedAlternanthera paronychioidesAmaranthaceae
- 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.