中文名（Chinese Name）：空心莲子草
学名（Scientific Name）：Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb.
英文名（English Common Name）：alligatorweed
别名（Chinese Common Name）：喜旱莲子草
异名（Synonym）：
科属（Family & Genus）：苋科（Amaranthaceae）莲子草属
形态特征（Description）：多年生草本；茎基部匍匐，上部上升，管状，不明显4棱，长55-120厘米，具分枝，幼茎及叶腋有白色或锈色柔毛，茎老时无毛，仅在两侧纵沟内保留。叶片矩圆形、矩圆状倒卵形或倒卵状披针形，长2.5-5厘米，宽7-20毫米，顶端急尖或圆钝，具短尖，基部渐狭，全缘，两面无毛或上面有贴生毛及缘毛，下面有颗粒状突起；叶柄长3-10毫米，无毛或微有柔毛。花密生，成具总花梗的头状花序，单生在叶腋，球形，直径8-15毫米；苞片及小苞片白色，顶端渐尖，具1脉; 苞片卵形，长2-2.5毫米，小苞片披针形，长2毫米；花被片矩圆形，长5-6毫米，白色，光亮，无毛，顶端急尖，背部侧扁；雄蕊花丝长2.5-3毫米，基部连合成杯状; 退化雄蕊矩圆状条形，和雄蕊约等长，顶端裂成窄条；子房倒卵形，具短柄，背面侧扁，顶端圆形。果实未见。花期5-10月。
分布（Distribution）：原产巴西。
用途（Use）：全草入药，有清热利水、凉血解毒作用; 可作饲料。
引自中国植物志英文版FOC Vol. 5 Page 427
Alternanthera philoxeroides (C. Martius) Grisebach, Abh. Königl. Ges. Wiss. Göttingen. 24: 36. 1879.
喜旱莲子草 xi han lian zi cao | Amaranthaceae  | Alternanthera
Bucholzia philoxeroides C. Martius, Nov. Actorum Acad. Caes. Leop.-Carol. Nat. Cur. 13(1): 107. 1825; Achyranthes philoxeroides (C. Martius) Standley; Telanthera philoxeroides (C. Martius) Moquin-Tandon.
Herbs perennial. Stem ascending from a creeping base, 55-120 cm, branched; young stem and leaf axil white hairy; old ones glabrous. Petiole 3-10 mm, glabrous or slightly hairy; leaf blade oblong, oblong-obovate, or ovate-lanceolate, 2.5-5 × 0.7-2 cm, glabrous or ciliate, adaxially muricate, base attenuate, margin entire, apex acute or obtuse, with a mucro. Heads with a peduncle, solitary at leaf axil, globose, 0.8-1.5 cm in diam. Bracts and bracteoles white, 1-veined, apex acuminate; bracts ovate, 2-2.5 mm; bracteoles lanceolate, ca. 2 mm. Tepals white, shiny, oblong, 5-6 mm, glabrous, apex acute. Filaments 2.5-3 mm, connate into a cup at base; pseudostaminodes oblong-linear, ca. as long as stamens. Ovary obovoid, compressed, with short stalk. Fruit not known. Fl. May-Oct. 2n = 100*.
Cultivated, waste places. Beijing, Fujian, Guangxi, Hebei, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Zhejiang [native to South America (Brazil)].
 
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