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''Boerhavia coccinea'' is a species of flowering plant in the four o'clock family which is known by many common names, including scarlet spiderling, red boerhavia, and in
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
, ''hierba del cancer'' and ''hierba de la hormiga''. This is a widespread plant, whose native range is not certain, but probably includes the southwestern United States and parts of Mexico. It is present across the southeastern United States, where it may be
naturalized Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...
. It is also present in Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America. It is present on many Pacific islands, including the
Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost ...
, where it is an
invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species adv ...
and a
noxious weed A noxious weed, harmful weed or injurious weed is a weed that has been designated by an agricultural or other governing authority as a plant that is injurious to agricultural or horticultural crops, natural habitats or ecosystems, or humans or li ...
. This plant grows in a wide variety of habitats, including disturbed areas as a common roadside weed. It is a low-lying, sprawling perennial herb producing reaching stems which can exceed a meter in length. The stems are somewhat hairy and sticky with glands. The generally oval-shaped leaves are held on short petioles. They are wavy along the edges and may have reddish margins. The
inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are forme ...
is a small head of tiny frilly flowers, each just a few millimeters long. The flowers are often bright scarlet to red-violet in color but can be shades of pink, yellow, or white.


Uses

The leaves and roots of ''B. coccinea'' are used medicinally in countries including Cameroon, Ethiopia, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. It is also eaten by humans and used as animal feed. A flour can be made from its seeds.


References


External links


Jepson Manual TreatmentPhoto gallery
coccinea Flora of New South Wales Flora of the Northern Territory Flora of Queensland Flora of South Australia Eudicots of Western Australia Taxa named by Philip Miller {{Caryophyllales-stub