Operation Alternanthera

[J.M. Garg]

Dear members,

Singh ji has posted six species of Alternanthera recently.
He has also stated in one of the threads that "... the Alternanthera species on our databases need to be sorted out...".

In view may I request the members to pl. have a re-look at their Alternanthera species in Indiantreepix Database or otherwise & post them for sorting out in case they have any doubts.
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With regards,
J.M.Garg (jmg...@gmail.com)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jmgarg1
'Creating awareness of Indian Flora & Fauna'
Image Resource of more than a thousand species of Birds, Butterflies, Plants etc. (arranged alphabetically & place-wise): http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:J.M.Garg
For learning about Indian Flora, visit/ join Google e-group- Indiantreepix:http://groups.google.co.in/group/indiantreepix?hl=en

[Satish Phadke]

From whatever descriptions emerged I have prepared a simple practical key for guiding to the ID of Alternanthera species. Final Id confirmation has to be made by looking at all the characters.
The thread is open for suggestions and corrections if any......................
1)Colour of leaves red brown; cultivated garden plant........A.brasiliana
2)Sessile linear leaves...................................................A.sessilis
3)Plant carpet like; leaves orbicular or ovate3*3cm...........A.pungens
4)...................similar....not much info............................A.pulchella
5) Erect tufted herbs; small petiole................................A.ficoidea or
    Erect branched herb ................................................A.bettzichiana
.................may be syn..As per BSI Mah.......................A.tenella var.versicolour
6)Aquatic herb; flowers in globose heads........................A.philoxeroides.
This is an humble attempt some corrections might erupt..
Dr Satish Phadke

2009/11/28 J.M. Garg <jmg...@gmail.com>

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[Gurcharan Singh]

Trying to keep it as simple as possible (but also fearing technical differences may get blurred) for easy identification: 

           1. Inflorescence a head on raised stalk

                2. Plants with thick reddish leaves, atleast ¾ as broad as long; cultivated as

                    hedge/border plant ..……………………………..1. A. brasileana (incl. A. dentata)

                2. Leaves not reddish, less than ½ as broad as long; wild plant of moist or aquatic

                    habitats.   ………………………………………….2. A.philoxeroides.

1.       Inflorescence a sessile head in leaf axils

3. Plants prostrate, mat-forming

        4. Leaves atleast ¾ as broad as long, stems and leaves rigid; flowers (tepals)

             spine-tipped…………………………………3. A. pungens

        4. Leaves usually less than ½ as broad as long, stems and leaves soft; flowers

            (tepals) not spin-tipped……………………..4. A. paronychoides

3. Plants erect or spreading not mat-forming

        5. Leaves sessile, linear or narrowly oblanceolate; plant of moist or

             wet situations………………………………. 5. A. sessilis

        5. Leaves with distinct petiole; mostly cultivated

                6. Leaves green or tinged with purple; mostly oblanceolate,

                    gradually narrowed into petiole, less than ½ as broad

                    as long…………………………….6. A. bettzickiana (incl. A. amoena

                                                                                    and A. versicolor)

                6. Leaves green, not tinged with purple; mostly elliptic-ovate, more

                     than ½ as broad as long, more sharply narrowed into short

                     petiole…………………..……………... 7. A. ficoidea         

No decision/information yet on A. pulchella, although it is listed on the net profusely.

-- 
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ 

[Vijayasankar Raman]

Its nice to see that the database of ITP is becoming more and more technically strong and authentic, thanks to dedicated people like Gurcharan ji, Satish ji and many others. Its already started serving as e-flora of India. Slowly we can start even revising genera and families of indian plants. 

With regards

R. Vijayasankar
FRLHT, Bangalore

[Muthu Karthick]

This key is highly useful sir,

I have a doubt about Alternanthera bettzickiana was it a variety of A. tenella. Also, would be more useful if A.tenella is included in key.

Thank you.

On Sat, Nov 28, 2009 at 4:12 PM, Gurcharan Singh <sing...@gmail.com> wrote:

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Muthu Karthick, N
Junior Research Fellow
Care Earth
Chennai
www.careearthtrust.org

[Satish Phadke]

Even I have same doubts as Muthu ji ...........rightly pointed.

2009/11/30 Muthu Karthick <nmk...@gmail.com>

[Gurcharan Singh]

Satish ji and Muthu ji

There have been lot of nomenclature changes in this genus. Bailey in Manual of cultivated plants considered A. bettzickiana, A. amoena and A. versicolor as distinct species. They are now all treated under single species A. bettzickiana.

     GRIN, which we generally follow for nomenclature purposes, considers A. tenella Colla as synonym of A. ficoidea and not a distinct species.