中文名（Chinese Name）：锦绣苋
学名（Scientific Name）：Alternanthera bettzickiana (Regel) G.Nicholson
英文名（English Common Name）：
别名（Chinese Common Name）：红莲子草、红节节草
异名（Synonym）：Alternanthera ficoidea var. versicolor R. Br.；Alternanthera ficoidea var. bettzickiana R. Br.；Alternanthera versicolor (Lem.) Hort. ex Regel；Telanthera bettzickiana Regel；Telanthera ficoidea var. versicolor Lem.；Alternanthera amabilis var. tricolor Linden & André；Alternanthera amabilis Lem.；Alternanthera amoena f. amabilis (Lem.) Voss；Alternanthera amoena f. reinhardii Voss；Alternanthera amoena f. rosea Voss；Alternanthera amoena f. sessilis Voss；Alternanthera amoena f. spectabilis Voss；Alternanthera amoena f. typica Voss；Alternanthera articulata f. capitellata O.Stützer；Alternanthera articulata f. capitulifera O.Stützer；Alternanthera articulata var. minuta O.Stützer；Alternanthera articulata O.Stützer；Alternanthera bettzickiana f. aurea Voss；Alternanthera bettzickiana f. kurzii Voss；Alternanthera bettzickiana f. spathulata (Lem.) Voss；Alternanthera bettzickiana var. spathulata (Lem.) Seub.；Alternanthera kerberi Uline & W.L.Bray；Alternanthera coerilis Voss；Alternanthera cyclophylla (Seub.) Schinz；Alternanthera ficoidea var. amoena (Lem.) L.B.Sm. & Downs；Alternanthera ficoidea var. spathulata (Lem.) L.B.Sm. & Downs；Alternanthera ficoides var. bettzickiana (Regel) Backer；Alternanthera paronychioides var. bettzickiana (Regel) Fosberg；Alternanthera purpurea Pynaert；Alternanthera reinhardii Voss；Alternanthera sessilis var. amoena Lem.；Alternanthera spathulata Lem.；Alternanthera tenella var. bettzickiana (Regel) Veldkamp；Alternanthera variegata K.Koch；Alternanthera versicolor f. aurea Voss；Amarantesia brasiliensis (Regel) Regel；Telanthera picta (Passarge) C. Koch
科属（Family & Genus）：苋科（Amaranthaceae）莲子草属
形态特征（Description）：多年生草本，高20-50厘米；茎直立或基部匍匐，多分枝，上部四棱形，下部圆柱形，两侧各有一纵沟，在顶端及节部有贴生柔毛。叶片矩圆形、矩圆倒卵形或匙形，长1-6厘米，宽0.5-2厘米，顶端急尖或圆钝，有凸尖，基部渐狭，边缘皱波状，绿色或红色，或部分绿色，杂以红色或黄色斑纹，幼时有柔毛后脱落；叶柄长1-4厘米，稍有柔毛。头状花序顶生及腋生，2-5个丛生，长5-10毫米，无总花梗；苞片及小苞片卵状披针形，长1.5-3毫米，顶端渐尖，无毛或脊部有长柔毛；花被片卵状矩圆形，白色，外面2片长3-4毫米，凹形，背部下半密生开展柔毛，中间1片较短，稍凹或近扁平，疏生柔毛或无毛，内面2片极凹，稍短且较窄，疏生柔毛或无毛；雄蕊5，花丝长1-2毫米，花药条形，其中1-2个较短且不育；退化雄蕊带状，高达花药的中部或顶部，顶端裂成3-5极窄条；子房无毛，花柱长约0.5毫米。果实不发育。花期8-9月。
分布（Distribution）：原产巴西，现我国各大城市栽培。
用途（Use）：由于叶片有各种颜色，可用作布置花坛，排成各种图案，全植物入药，有清热解毒、凉血止血、清积逐瘀功效。
引自中国植物志英文版FOC Vol. 5 Page 427
Alternanthera bettzickiana (Regel) G. Nicholson, Ill. Gard. Dict. 59. 1884.
锦绣苋 jin xiu xian| Amaranthaceae  | Alternanthera
Telanthera bettzickiana Regel, Ind. Sem. Hort. Petrop. 1862: 28. 1862; Alternanthera ficoidea (Linnaeus) R. Brown var. bettzickiana (Regel) Backer; A. ficoidea var. versicolor (Lemaire) L. B. Smith & Downs; A. versicolor (Lemaire) Regel; T. ficoidea (Linnaeus) Moquin-Tandon var. versicolor Lemaire.
Herbs perennial, 20-50 cm tall. Stem erect or creeping, much branched, apical part quadrangular, basal part cylindric, hairy at apex and nodes. Petiole 1-4 mm, slightly hairy; leaf blade green or red, or tinged red or yellow, oblong, oblong-ovate, or spatulate, 1-6 × 0.5-2 mm, hairy when young, glabrescent, base acuminate, margin undulate, apex acute or obtuse, with a mucro. Heads 2-5, terminal or axillary, 5-10 mm, sessile. Bracts and bracteoles ovate-lanceolate, 1.5-3 mm, abaxially glabrous or long hairy, apex acuminate. Tepals white, ovate-oblong; outer segments 3-4 mm, densely hairy; middle segment shorter, pilose or glabrous; inner segment short, narrow, pilose or glabrous. Stamens 5; filaments 1-2 mm; anthers linear; pseudostaminodes fasciated, 3-5-parted at apex. Ovary glabrous; style ca. 0.5 mm. Fruit undeveloped. Fl. Aug-Sep.
Cultivated in nearly all the large cities of China [native to South America; cultivated throughout SE Asia].
One of us (Clemants) indicates that this is best treated as Alternanthera ficoidea var. bettzickiana.
（责任编辑：duckuly）