Showing posts with label Amaranthaceae. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amaranthaceae. Show all posts

Friday, January 12, 2024

Digera muricata

 An indigenous annual herb locally common along roadsides and gardens of dry and sandy places. 

Sunday, February 23, 2020

Monday, January 28, 2019

Khaki weed (Alternanthera pungens)

Native prostrate herb of tropical ans sub tropical America. Introduced and now a common weed in dry sandy places, disturbed grounds and roadsides. 

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

වැල් කරල් හැබ[Wel karal Haba]/Forest Burr/Creeping Cock's Comb(Pupalia lappacea var. lappacea)

An indigenous herb occurs as two varieties in the island.
  •  P, l, lappacea (Above Picture) - Grows open dry places along forest edges.
  •  P. l. orbiculata  - Common in the sandy places behind the shoreline.

Saturday, October 1, 2016

මුකුනුවැන්න/මුඟුනුවැන්න[Mukunu-wenna,Mugunuwenna]/Sessile joyweed/Tangle mat(Alternanthera sessilis)

Very common introduced herb occurs in paddy fields, ditches, roadsides, gardens and disturbed places in lowlands up to about 1180 m elevations. Eaten as a vegetable and often cultivated.

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

වැල් කරල් හැබ[Wel karal Haba]/Forest Burr/Creeping Cock's Comb(Pupalia lappacea var. orbiculata)

An indigenous herb occurs as two varieties in the island.
  •  P, l, lappacea - Grows open dry places along forest edges.
  •  P. l. orbiculata (Above Picture) - Common in the sandy places behind the shoreline.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

කටු තම්පලා[Katu tampala]/Spiny amaranth/Prickly amaranth (Amaranthus spinosus)

Very common introduced weed occurs along roadsides, waste and disturbed grounds and in gardens. Flowering throughout the year. The young leaves are eaten as a kind of spinach and whole plant especially leaves and roots are medicinal.

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

ගස් කරල් හැබ/වැල් කරල් හැබ[Gas karal heba, Wal karal haba] (Achyranthes aspera)

An indigenous perennial herb very common along roadsides, gardens, waste grounds, scrub lands,  forest margins, seashores and along streams throughout the island except on the higher hills. 

Sunday, August 2, 2015

කිඹුල්වැන්න[Kibulwenna]/Alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides)

Native herb of Brazil and Argentina. Invasive in Australia, China, New Zealand,Thailand and USA. In 1995 it was found that Alligator weed has been growing in home gardens of  the Sri Lankan community in Australia as a vegetable by mistake*.  Later on somehow it was introduced to the Sri Lanka and now an invasive weed in several areas, growing in dense masses in shallow water.

* Invasive Plants - A guide to the identification of the most invasive plants in Sri Lanka, Lalith Gunasekara

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Friday, February 27, 2015

Alternanthera paronychioides

Creeping herb native to tropical America. Introduced and naturalized in dry sandy places with sparse grass cover, Often in the places where periodical inundation occurs. 

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Soft khaki weed/Prostrate globe amaranth (Gomphrena celosioides)


A native herb of South America. Introduced to Sri Lanka and now widely distributed along roadsides, rocky places and waste lands. 

Monday, August 22, 2011