Alternanthera ficoidea (L.) P.Beauv.
Vernacular name: Sanguinarea, Resham Katha (Hindi: रेशम कथा)
Species Name: Alternanthera ficoidea (L.) P.Beauv.
Family: Amaranthaceae
Habit: Perennial, procumbent to erect herb or sub-shrub.
Stem: Slender, branched, often decumbent, rooting at lower nodes.
Leaf: Opposite, broadly ovate to obovate or narrowly elliptic, entire, shortly petiolate; green or sometimes coloured.
Flowering: Mainly August onwards.
Flowers: Sessile, axillary, globose to short-cylindrical heads; tepals 5, unequal, outer 3 broader and hairy; pseudostaminodes conspicuous and lacerate.
Fruit: Small utricle, enclosed by persistent perianth.
Uses:
- Plant is excessive used by herbal and traditional practices as dietary supplements and in folk medicines. It is a good antiviral agent.
- Used ornamentally, particularly coloured-leaved forms, and has food uses. It is also used environmentally as a ground-covering plant.
- In gardens, it can be used as flower beds or line walkways due to its bright leaves. It can also be planted in pots, hanging baskets and indoor spaces.
- Leaves can be consumed raw or cooked with rice. Leaves can be boiled as a potherb, can be eaten with sambal or a hot pepper mixture.
- Thick matted roots and stems helps to prevent soil erosions.
- Plant is found to work as bioagents that cleans and treat greywater in specialized bioreactors.
