Prostrate pastureweed
Cyathula prostrata leaves
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Genus: Cyathula
Species:
C. prostrata
Binomial name
Cyathula prostrata
(L.) Blume
Synonyms[1]
Synonyms list
  • Achyranthes prostrata L.
  • Desmochaeta prostrata (L.) DC.
  • Pupalia prostrata (L.) Mart.

Cyathula prostrata, the prostrate pastureweed,[2] is a perennial, prostrate, herbaceous plant distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical world.[3]

Etymology and names

Etymology

  • Cyathula: sy-ATH-uh-la - small cup.[4]
  • prostrata: prost-RAY-tuh - prostrate.

Names

  • Hindi: लाल चिरचिटा, romanized: laal chirchita
  • Kannada: ನೆಲ ಉತ್ತರಾಣಿ, romanized: nela uttharaani, ರಕ್ತಪಮರ್ಗ (raktapamarga)
  • Malayalam: ചെറുകടലാടി, romanized: cerukadalaadi
  • Marathi: भुईअघाडा, romanized: bhuiaghādā
  • Tamil: சிவப்பு நாயுருவி, romanized: civappu nayuruvi

Source: [5]

Distribution and habitat

Native range

  • Africa: Benin, Burkina, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gulf of Guinea Is., Zaïre, Ethiopia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Madagascar.
  • Asia-Temperate: China South-Central, China Southeast, Hainan, Taiwan.
  • Asia-Tropical: Assam, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Borneo, Jawa, Lesser Sunda Islands, Peninsular Malaysia, Maluku, Philippines, Singapore, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, Solomon Is.
  • Pacific: Caroline Is.

Source: [6]

Introduced range

Bolivia, Caroline Is., Cook Is., French Guiana, Guyana, Jamaica, Leeward Is., Marquesas, Mauritius, Puerto Rico, Réunion, Seychelles, Society Is., Suriname, Trinidad-Tobago, Tubuai Is., Venezuelan Antilles, Windward Is.

Description

  • Habit : Perennial, prostrate herbs.
  • Leaves : Opposite, rhomboid, acute at both ends, thinly pubescent; petiolate.
  • Inflorescence : Spike terminal, slender, solitary or in group of three.
  • Flowers : In groups of 3-5 of which one perfect and others neuter; bracts and bracteoles similar, lanceolate, acuminate, pubescent; tepals 5, free, elliptic, acute, hooked awn like in neutor flowers.
  • Androecium : Stamens 5, filaments united into a membranous truncate cup; staminodes membranous, alternate with stamens, fimbriate.
  • Gynoecium : Ovary ovoid, style simple, stigma capitellate.
  • Fruits : Achenes, obovoid, compressed, golden brown.
  • Flowering and fruiting : September-April.[7]

Varieties

  • Cyathula prostrata var. prostrata
  • Cyathula prostrata var. lancifolia - Philippines.
  • Cyathula prostrata var. pedicellata - Tropical Africa.

Uses and ecology

The plant is locally used as a medicine but also as a food and source of soap.[8] It is also recorded as a larval host plant of Fulvous Pied Flat butterfly.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Cyathula prostrata (L.) Blume — The Plant List". www.theplantlist.org.
  2. ↑ "Cyathula prostrata - Prostrate Pastureweed". flowersofindia.net.
  3. ↑ "Cyathula prostrata (L.) Blume | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online.
  4. ↑ "Searching Botanary". davesgarden.com.
  5. ↑ "Cyathula prostrata - Names of Plants in India". sites.google.com.
  6. ↑ "Cyathula prostrata - Wikispecies". species.wikimedia.org.
  7. ↑ India Biodiversity Portal
  8. ↑ Useful Tropical Plants
  9. ↑ Butterflies of India
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