''Gomphrena celosioides''

Mart. Carl Friedrich Philipp (Karl Friedrich Philipp) von Martius (17 April 1794 – 13 December 1868) was a German botanist and explorer. Life Martius was born at Erlangen, the son of Prof Ernst Wilhelm Martius, court apothecary. He graduated PhD f ...

('gomphos'=club, 'celosioides'=resembling ''

Celosia ''Celosia'' ( ) is a small genus of edible and ornamental plants in the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae. The generic name is derived from the Ancient Greek word (), meaning "burning", and refers to the flame-like flower heads. Species are commonl ...

'') is a herbaceous perennial belonging to the family

Amaranthaceae Amaranthaceae is a family of flowering plants commonly known as the amaranth family, in reference to its type genus ''Amaranthus''. It includes the former goosefoot family Chenopodiaceae and contains about 165 genera and 2,040 species, making it ...

and a cosmopolitan

pioneer plant Pioneer species are hardy species that are the first to colonize barren environments or previously biodiverse steady-state ecosystems that have been disrupted, such as by wildfire. Pioneer flora Some lichens grow on rocks without soil, so m ...

of disturbed areas, and one of 51 species in the genus. This much-branched, prostrate plant is an annual or short-lived perennial, with a deep taproot and is often mat-forming. The opposite, elliptical leaves have short, hairy petioles, are pubescent and some 3–4 cm long. The flowers are in dense terminal spikes and grow on a woolly receptacle; perianth segments are papery, 4–6 mm long, shining, and whitish to pink in colour. It has 2 stigmas and 5 stamens inserted opposite the sepals and joined into a 5-toothed staminal tube. The ovary is superior, developing into a single-seeded fruit. The seed is some 1.5 mm in length, lentil-shaped, brown and glossy, and is routinely distributed by ants. Originally from the Americas where it is native to

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and

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, it has become naturalised in Asia in

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and

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, and

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in the Pacific region, while in the Africa region it is found in

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and

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Phytochemicals

Analysis of this species has shown the presence of various compounds, including aurantiamide, and aurantiamide acetate, which is a selective

cathepsin Cathepsins (Ancient Greek ''kata-'' "down" and ''hepsein'' "boil"; abbreviated CTS) are proteases ( enzymes that degrade proteins) found in all animals as well as other organisms. There are approximately a dozen members of this family, which are d ...

inhibitor, also produced by '' Aspergillus penicilloides''. These compounds have shown their effectiveness against microorganisms, even in very small doses. Plants from the

are used in folk medicine for their nutritional qualities and for the treatment of various disorders such as gastrointestinal and respiratory problems, skin infections, as well as some infectious diseases, and as an

abortifacient An abortifacient ("that which will cause a miscarriage" from Latin: ''abortus'' "miscarriage" and '' faciens'' "making") is a substance that induces abortion. This is a nonspecific term which may refer to any number of substances or medications, ...

. Analysis has also revealed hydrocarbons, alcohols, steroids, terpenoids, ecdysteroids, flavonoids, saponins, amino acids, butacyanins, reducing sugar and ketoses. Eating the plant affects the nervous system of horses, leading to lack of co-ordination, dragging of hooves and falling. Recovery is swift following exclusion of the plant from the diet.

Gallery

References

External links

Aurantiamide , CAS:58115-31-4 , Alkaloids , High Purity , Manufacturer BioCrick
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10888502 celosioides Flora of Brazil Plants described in 1826