Alternanthera brasiliana

Alternanthera brasiliana (L.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 537 1891. (Syn: Achyranthes brasiliana Thouin ex Moq.; Achyranthes brasiliana (L.) Standl. ……..; Alternanthera dentata (Moench) Stuchlík ex R.E.Fr.; Alternanthera dentata f. pubescens Suess.; Alternanthera dentata f. rubiginosa Suess.; Alternanthera jacquini Standl.; Alternanthera jacquinii (Schrad.) Alain; Alternanthera moquinii var. grandiceps Suess.; Alternanthera straminea (Mart.) Suess.; Alternanthera straminea (Mart.) Millsp.; Gomphrena brasiliana L.; Gomphrena brasiliensis L.; Gomphrena brasiliensis Jacq.; Gomphrena brasiliensis (L.) Lam.; Gomphrena dentata Moench; Gomphrena patula J.C.Wendl.);
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al-ter-NANTH-ur-uh — alternating anther … Dave’s Botanary
bra-sill-ee-AY-nuh — of or from Brazil … Dave’s Botanary
.
commonly known as: bloodleaf, Brazilian joyweed, calico plant, copperleaf, Joseph’s coat, joy weed, parrot leaf, purple alternanthera, ruby leaf • Assamese: বিশল্যকৰণী bishalyakarani • Kannada: ಕೆಮ್ಪು ಕ್ರೊಟೊನ್ kempu croton • Malayalam: ചോരച്ചീര choracheera, ചുവന്ന ചീര chuvanna cheera, ക്രോട്ടൺ ചീര croton cheera • Tamil: பொன்னாங்கண்ணி ponnankanni • Tulu: ಕೆಮ್ಪು ಕ್ರೊಟೊನ್ kempu croton
Names compiled / updated at https://dineshvalke.blogspot.com/2020/12/alternanthera-brasiliana-l-kuntze.html.
.
Native to
: tropical Americas; cultivated elsewhere as ornamental
.
Usually grown as border plant. Undershrub up to 45 cm tall, but usually trimmed to less than 25 cm or so; leaves usually red, ovate to lanceolate, up to 7 cm long and up to 5 cm broad; flowers greenish-white in up to 2 cm long heads on up to 10 cm long peduncle, or nearly sessile; bracts and bracteoles as long as tepals, broadened and somewhat lacerate at tip.
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ID Request: Could anyone identify this shrub with purple-green leaves and white flowers.


Alernathera dentata , Amaranthaceae


Alternanthera brasiliana (L.) Kuntze
Popularly known by its synonym: Alternanthera dentata (Moench) Stuchlik ex R. E. Fr.
al-ter-NANTH-ur-uh — alternating antherDave’s Botanary
bra-sill-ee-AY-nuh — of or from BrazilDave’s Botanary
commonly known as: bloodleaf, Brazilian joyweed, calico plant, copperleaf, Joseph’s coat, joy weed, parrot leaf, purple alternanthera, ruby leaf
Native to: tropical Americas; cultivated elsewhere as ornamental
References: Flowers of IndiaTop TropicalsDave’s GardenNPGS / GRIN
in Nirvana Park of Hiranandani Gardens, Mumbai on 14 JAN 07


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Alternanthera brasiliana (L.) Kuntze, Revis. gen. pl. 2:537. 1891
Syn: Alternanthera dentata (Moench) Stuchlik ex R. E. Fr.; Gomphrena brasiliana L.
Common name: Brazilian joyweed
Usually grown as border plant. Undershrub up to 45 cm tall, but usually trimmed to less than 25 cm or so; leaves usually red, ovate to lanceolate, up to 7 cm long and up to 5 cm broad; flowers greenish-white in up to 2 cm long heads on up to 10 cm long peduncle, or nearly sessile; bracts and bracteoles as long as tepals, broadened and somewhat lacerate at tip.
Photographed from Delhi


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Chenopodiaceae and Amaranthaceae Week: BRS 009 Alternanthera brasiliana from Pondy:
Pl. confirm the species Alternanthera brasiliana from Pichandikulam, Pondy.


Yes …



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Chenopodiaceae and Amaranthaceae Week :: Alternanthera with Purple Leaves : Flower Show,Mumbai : 090213 : AK-15:
Seen at the Flower Show in Mumbai.
Kindly confirm if this is Alternanthera dentata or Alternanthera brasiliana.


Alternanthera brasiliana


Is this plant called ‘Joyweed’ in English?



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Identification :  Attachments (1).  6 posts by 3 authors.
May I ask everybody present here to please clear me a confusion that if the attached picture of the red angiosperm with white inflorescence is the plant Gomphrena celosioides (Amaranthaceae) or not?
Waiting for your kind response,

It is not. Though belongs to the Family Amaranthaceae it is more closer to Alternanthera.


Sir, Can it be Alternanthera brasiliana (L.) Kuntze ?????


Please check on the page- /species/a—l/a/amaranthaceae/alternanthera-bettzickiana of our group’s database.


….this is alternanthera braziliana of family amaranthaceae


Thank you Sir for your kind information. A. brasiliana and A. dentata are synonymous.



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Alternanthera brasiliana (L.) Kuntze from Assam-Jan 2014:  Attachments (6). 1 post by 1 author.
Attached images are Alternanthera brasiliana (L.) Kuntze
Date :15.12.2013
Location: Assam
Family : Amaranthaceae
Genus & species : Alternanthera brasiliana (L.) Kuntze
Habitat: Grows as ornamental plants
Habit : Herb    


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Fwd: Pictures of Ornament plants 1 : 9 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (1) – 5 MB
Can you please identify and tell me the common and botanical names of this ornamental plant?

Attachments (1)


This should be Alternanthera brasiliana


.


al-ter-NANTH-ur-uh — alternating anther … Dave’s Botanary
bra-sill-ee-AY-nuh — of or from Brazil … Dave’s Botanarycommonly known as: bloodleaf, Brazilian joyweed, calico plant, copperleaf, Joseph’s coat, joy weed, parrot leaf, purple alternanthera, ruby leaf • Kannada: ಕೆಮ್ಪು ಕ್ರೊಟೊನ್ kempu croton • Malayalam: ചുവന്ന ചീര chuvanna cheera, ക്രോട്ടൺ ചീര croton cheera • Tulu: ಕೆಮ್ಪು ಕ್ರೊಟೊನ್ kempu croton

botanical namesAlternanthera brasiliana (L.) Kuntze … synonymsAchyranthes brasilianus (L.) Standl. • Gomphrena brasiliana L. … status at GBIF

Bibliography / etymology
~~~~~ ENGLISH ~~~~~
bloodleaf
Brazilian joyweed
calico plant
copperleaf
Joseph’s coat
joy weed
parrot leaf
purple alternanthera
ruby leaf
~~~~~ KANNADA ~~~~~
ಕೆಮ್ಪು ಕ್ರೊಟೊನ್ kempu croton
  • Shodhganga – Medicinal plants of Tulunadu
    this name – ಕೆಮ್ಪು ಕ್ರೊಟೊನ್ kempu croton = red croton, is due to the reddish plant body and ornamental nature of the plant … Shodhganga
~~~~~ MALAYALAM ~~~~~
ചുവന്ന ചീര chuvanna cheera
ക്രോട്ടൺ ചീര croton cheera
~~~~~ TULU ~~~~~
ಕೆಮ್ಪು ಕ್ರೊಟೊನ್ kempu croton
  • Shodhganga – Medicinal plants of Tulunadu
    this name – ಕೆಮ್ಪು ಕ್ರೊಟೊನ್ kempu croton = red croton, is due to the reddish plant body and ornamental nature of the plant … Shodhganga
~~~~~ x ~~~~~

Names compiled / updated at https://dineshvalke.blogspot.com/2020/12/alternanthera-brasiliana-l-kuntze.html


al-ter-NANTH-ur-uh — alternating anther … Dave’s Botanary
bra-sill-ee-AY-nuh — of or from Brazil … Dave’s Botanary

commonly known as: bloodleaf, Brazilian joyweed, calico plant, copperleaf, Joseph’s coat, joy weed, parrot leaf, purple alternanthera, ruby leaf • Assamese: বিশল্যকৰণী bishalyakarani • Kannada: ಕೆಮ್ಪು ಕ್ರೊಟೊನ್ kempu croton • Malayalam: ചോരച്ചീര choracheera, ചുവന്ന ചീര chuvanna cheera, ക്രോട്ടൺ ചീര croton cheera • Tamil: பொன்னாங்கண்ணி ponnankanni • Tulu: ಕೆಮ್ಪು ಕ್ರೊಟೊನ್ kempu croton

botanical namesAlternanthera brasiliana (L.) Kuntze … homotypic synonymsGomphrena brasiliana L. … and more at POWO, retrieved 25 October 2025

Bibliography / etymology
Links listed as references in the notes below, may not remain valid permanently. Portals / websites have a tendency to re-organize / revise their content, leading to change in URLs of pages in their site. Some sites may even close down at their own will. The bits about the languages of India mentioned below are merely some bare facts gathered from the internet; just enough to satisfy curiosity about “where” could the listed names be best prevalent in India. All English transliterated names to be taken sensu amplo.

~~~~~ ENGLISH ~~~~~
written and spoken widely, in most parts of India
bloodleaf, copperleaf, Joseph’s coat
Brazilian joyweed, purple alternanthera
calico plant, joy weed (or joyweed), parrot leaf, ruby leaf
~~~~~ ASSAMESE ~~~~~
written in: Assamese (অসমীয়া) … spoken in: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya
বিশল্যকৰণী bishalyakarani
  • Many thanks to Sankar Jyoti Bora and Teena Pathak for help with this name … facebook
  • Many thanks to Jyotsna Saikia for her post of this species … facebook
~~~~~ KANNADA ~~~~~
written in: Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ) … spoken in: Karnataka
ಕೆಮ್ಪು ಕ್ರೊಟೊನ್ kempu croton
~~~~~ MALAYALAM ~~~~~
written in: Malayalam (മലയാളം) … spoken in: Kerala, Lakshadweep
ചോരച്ചീര choracheera
ചുവന്ന ചീര chuvanna cheera, ക്രോട്ടൺ ചീര croton cheera
~~~~~ TAMIL ~~~~~
written in: Tamil (தமிழ்) … spoken in: Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands
பொன்னாங்கண்ணி ponnankanni
~~~~~ TULU ~~~~~
written in: Tigalari (Tulu) was used for writing Vedic texts in Sanskrit, Kannada (ತುಳು), Malayalam (തുളു) … spoken in: Karnataka, north Kerala
ಕೆಮ್ಪು ಕ್ರೊಟೊನ್ kempu croton
~~~~~ KNOWN DISTRIBUTION in INDIA ~~~~~
introduced as an ornamental, also cultivated for medicinal purposes; originally from South and Central America
~~~~~ Created on: 21:15 03-12-2020 ¦ Last updated: 20:09 25-10-2025 (DD-MM-YYYY) ~~~~~

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P.O.Tala, Distt Umariya, M.P. India– Nov.’09?; Alternanthera brasiliana (L.) Kuntze from Delhi – indiantreepix | Google Groups

 



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References:
Updated on November 10, 2025

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