Alternanthera philoxeroides

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Distribution Map: Based on vouchered plant specimens only. View county names by placing the mouse cursor over a particular county.

Species Distribution Map
Family:AMARANTHACEAE
Species:Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb.
Common Name:Alligator Weed
Habitat:Shallow water of ponds, lakes, rivers, and roadside ditches in full sun.
Associated Ecological Communities:**
Growth Habit:Herb
Duration:Perennial
Category:Vascular
USDA Symbol:ALPH
Plant Notes:Alligator Weed is an introduced herbaceous perennial in the Amaranth family (Amaranthaceae). It is native to the temperate regions of South America. In Alabama in can be found throughout the state. Alligator Weed is a stoloniferous plant inhabiting aquatic and semi-aquatic areas. It can be found in lakes and ponds, in sloughs, on river banks, in roadside ditches, and in frequently flooded forests. Stems are prostrate, rooting at the nodes or forming floating mats. The stems are green in color and glabrous. Floating stems are hollow and stems on terrestrial plants are solid with spongy pith. Leaves are opposite, sessile, elliptic to oblanceolate in outline, entire, and glabrous. Flowers are produced in pedunculate terminal and axillary heads. Each flower has 5 papery white tepals. The fruit is an utricle. Plants in North America have not been observed to produce fruit or seed. Alligator Weed is listed as a Category 1 invasive plant species by the Alabama Invasive Plant Council. It reproduces rapidly from small segments of stem that root in water or mud. Alligator Weed forms dense mats along the shores of water bodies that impact swimming, fishing, and boating. It can clog waterways and exclude native species. The Alligator Weed Flea Beetle (Agasicles hygrophila) has been introduced in the United States as a biological control.—A. Diamond
Taxonomic Notes:**
Status:Not Native, OBL (NWI)
References:**
Specimen: View specimen details in the Alabama Herbarium Consortium Specimen Database

** Not applicable or data not available.

Classification

FamilyAMARANTHACEAE - Amaranth family
Genus Alternanthera
Species Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb. - Alligator Weed

Citation

Citation Alternanthera philoxeroides (Martius) Grisebach, Abh. Königl. Ges. Wiss. Göttingen 24: 36. 1879.
Basionym: Bucholzia philoxeroides Martius 1826.
Type: BRAZIL: Without data, Sellow s.n. (lectotype: BR). Lectotypified by Pedersen, Darwiniana 14: 440. 1967.

** Not applicable or data not available.

Synonyms

SynonymFull CitationBasionymType
Achyranthes philoxeroides J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 5: 74. 1915.Bucholzia philoxeroides Martius 1826. 
Alternanthera paludosa Proc. Linn. Soc. London 1: 109. 1841. ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires, Bunbury s.n. (holotype: ?; isotype: BR).
Alternanthera philoxerina Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 35: 303. 1934. BRAZIL: São Paulo: Asplund IX, 1921 (holotype: S).
Alternanthera philoxeroides var. luxurians Mitt. Bot. Staatssamml. München 2: 68. 1950. ARGENTINA: Formosa: Pilcomayo, Morel 1247 (holotype: M).
Alternanthera philoxeroides var. obtusifolia Apuntes Hist. Nat. 2: 94. 1910, nom. inadmiss.Telanthera philoxeroides (Martius) Moquin-Tandon, var. obtusifolia Martius ex Moquin-Tandon 1849, nom. inadmiss.; Bucholzia philoxeroides Martius 1826. 
Alternanthera philoxeroides forma angustifolia Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 35: 303. 1934. PARAGUAY: Without data, Hassler 2141 (holotype: ?; isotypes: GH, K, NY, P).
Alternanthera philoxeroides var. acutifolia Apuntes Hist. Nat. 2: 94. 1910.Telanthera philoxeroides (Martius) Moquin-Tandon, var. acutifolia Martius ex Moquin-Tandon 1849. 
Alternanthera philoxeroides var. lancifolia Bull. Soc. Bot. Gèneve, ser. 2. 18: 257. 1927.  
Bucholzia philoxeroides Nova Acta Phys.-Med. Acad. Caes. Leop.-Carol. Nat. Cur. 13(1): 315. 1826. BRAZIL: Without data, Sellow s.n. (lectotype: BR). Lectotypified by Pedersen, Darwiniana 14: 440. 1967.
Telanthera philoxeroides de Candolle, Prodr. 13(2): 362. 1849.Bucholzia philoxeroides Martius 1826. 
Telanthera philoxeroides var. obtusifolia de Candolle, Prodr. 13(2): 363. 1849, nom. inadmiss.Bucholzia philoxeroides Martius 1826. 
Telanthera philoxeroides var. acutifolia de Candolle, Prodr. 13(2): 363. 1849. BRAZIL: Minas Gerais: Ad fluv. Sapucahy, Feb, Martius s.n. (lectotype: M). Lectotypified by Mears, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 129: 15. 1977.
Telanthera philoxeroides var. acutifolia elanthera philoxeroides (Martius) Moquin-Tandon, var. acutifolia Martius ex Moquin-Tandon, in de Candolle, Prodr. 13(2): 363. 1849. BRAZIL: Minas Gerais: Ad fluv. Sapucahy, Feb, Martius s.n. (lectotype: M). Lectotypified by Mears, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 129: 15. 1977.

Specimens and Distribution

This species has been reported in the following counties by the herbaria listed. An overview of the individual specimens are provided in the table that follows. Click on the accession number to view details; click on column headers to sort; choose a county or herbaria to filter the specimen data.

Counties included on distribution map: Autauga, Baldwin, Barbour, Bibb, Blount, Butler, Calhoun, Choctaw, Clarke, Cleburne, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Dallas, Elmore, Etowah, Fayette, Geneva, Greene, Hale, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jefferson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lee, Limestone, Lowndes, Madison, Marengo, Marshall, Mobile, Montgomery, Morgan, Perry, Pike, Russell, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Tuscaloosa, Washington, Wilcox

Counties represented by specimen data listed below:

Herbaria represented by specimen data listed below: ALNHS, AMAL, AUA, BRIT, JSU, NY, SAMF, TROY, UNA, UNAF, USAM, UWAL

Range of years during which specimens were collected: 1899 - 2020

Barcode / Accession No.
County
Coll. Date
Collector &
Collection No.
Herbarium &
Herbarium Name Used
Image
UWAL0047141 Autauga 02 May 2017 Parker, Matthew R.
726		 UWAL
Alternanthera philoxeroides (Martius) Grisebach
TROY000046512 Autauga 02 May 2017 Parker, Matthew R.
726		 TROY
Alternanthera philoxeroides (Martius) Grisebach
TROY000047745 Autauga 24 Aug 2017 Parker, Matthew R.
1136		 TROY
Alternanthera philoxeroides (Martius) Grisebach
AUA000026429 Baldwin 29 Oct 1954 MOORE, WILLIAM H.
 AUA
ALTERNANTHERA PHILOXEROIDES (MART.) GRISEB.
AUA000026424 Baldwin 7 May 1960 MIXON, AUBREY
 AUA
ALTERNANTHERA PHILOXEROIDES (MART.) GRISEB.
AUA000026425 Baldwin 12 May 1963 HAYES, A.W.
 AUA
ALTERNANTHERA PHILOXEROIDES (MART.) GRISEB.
JSU113753 Baldwin 15 May 1964 Bozarth, Gene A.
s.n.		 JSU
Alternanthera philoxeroides (Martius) Grisebach
AUA000026426 Baldwin 16 May 1964 GLASS, M.R.
 AUA
ALTERNANTHERA PHILOXEROIDES (MART.) GRISEB.
AUA000026433 Baldwin 16 May 1964 ELDRIDGE, D.
 AUA
ALTERNANTHERA PHILOXEROIDES (MART.) GRISEB.
AUA000026427 Baldwin 29 May 1964 STRITIKUS, G.R.
 AUA
ALTERNANTHERA PHILOXEROIDES (MART.) GRISEB.
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