Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Alternanthera sessilis
periquito-sessil, sessile joyweed,brede embellage, common roadside weed
Annual or usually perennial herb; Stem and branches green to pink or purplish, Leaves extremely variable in shape and size, linear-lanceolate to oblong,Inflorescences sessile, axillary, solitary or in clusters of up to c. 5, subglobose (slightly elongate in fruit) (POWO, 2022)
It is has environmental uses and social uses, as animal food and a medicine and for food (POWO, 2022)
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida (= Dicotyledoneae)
Order
Caryophyllales
Family
Amaranthaceae
Genus
Alternanthera
Species
sessilis
Taxon category: Accepted
Syn.: Alternanthera ficoidea (L.) P. Beauv.
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 Asia to N. & E. Australia, S. Mexico to Tropical America (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.
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This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Alternanthera sessilis", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=155. Accessed 30 April 2025.