Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Achyranthes aspera
malpica, devil's horsewhip
Achyranthes aspera is an erect, sometimes sprawling, long-lived herb which can grow up to 2 m tall, with stems becoming woody at the base. Its short-stalked leaves are opposite, simple and egg-shaped; they can be densely to sparsely hairy and are dark green above and paler below, with young leaves often silvery (PLANTNET, 2022)
It is used as animal food and a medicine, has environmental uses and social uses and for food(POWO, 2022)
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida (= Dicotyledoneae)
Order
Caryophyllales
Family
Amaranthaceae
Genus
Achyranthes
Species
aspera
Taxon category: Accepted
Syn.: Centrostachys indica (L.) Standl.
Origin: Introduced - established
Year of first record: 1974
Mode of introduction: Accidental
Introduction Pathway: Contaminant
Subpathway: Contaminant on plants (inc. seeds and plant associated material)
Introduced status: Naturalized
Invasive status: No data
Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.
Distribution: Its native range is Tropical & Subtropical Old World (POWO, 2022)
- Van der Werff, H.H. (1977) Vascular plants from the Galápagos Islands: new records and taxonomic notes. Bot. Notiser 130(1): 89-100.
- Porter, D.M. (1983) Vascular Plants of the Galapagos: Origins and Dispersal. In: Bowman, R.I., Berson, M. & Leviton, A.E. (eds.): Patterns of evolution in Galápagos organisms. Pacific Division, AAAS, San Francisco, California, p. 33-96.
- Tropicos.org. (2017) Database of Missouri Botanical Garden. Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden. 06 Oct 2017 <http://www.tropicos.org
- Eliasson, U.H. Uno (1987) Amaranthaceae. Flora del Ecuador 28: 1–138.
- Guézou, A. Trueman, M., Buddenhagen, E., Chamorro, S., Guerrero, A.M., Pozo, P., Atkinson, R. (2010) An extensive Alien Plan Inventory from the Inhabited Areas of Galapagos Plos One/ www.plosone.org. Volume 5/ Issue 4/e10276
- Lawesson, J.E. (1987) Plantas exóticas en las Islas Galápagos, un resumen. Memorias. Taller sobre investigación Botánica y manejo en Galápagos. Pg. 17-23.
- Eliasson, U. (1989) Especies de Amaranthaceae en las Islas Galápagos y sus relaciones con las especies del continente Sudamericano. Pg. 33 - 38. Memorias. Taller sobre investigación Botánica y menejos en Galápagos.
You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.
This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Achyranthes aspera", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=135. Accessed 6 May 2025.