Alternanthera axillaris (Hornem. ex Willd.) D. Dietr.

Achyranthes axillaris Hornem.; Wilid. Emim. 270. 1809
Achyrantkes spinosa Hornem. Hort. Hafn. 1: 240. 1813.
Celosia axillaris Mart. PL Hort. Krlang. 70. 1814.
Alternanthera spinosa R. & S. Syst. Veg. 5: 555. 1819.
Illecebrum spinosum Spreng. Syst. 1: 819. 1825.
Alternanthera axillaris D. Dietr. Syn. PI. 1: 866, as synonym. 1839.
Erect or ascending annual; stems 3-10 dm. high, much branched, the branches stout, ascending, striate, villous with grayish hispidulous hairs; petioles 2-10 mm. long; leaf-blades oblong to oblong-ovate or rhombic-ovate, 2-6.5 cm. long, 1-3 cm. wide, obtuse or acutish at the apex, acute at the base, firm, densely and finely grayish-pubescent beneath with hispidulous hairs, green and less densely pubescent on the upper surface; heads axillary, sessile, solitary or glomerate, 7-10 mm. in diameter, the flowers stramineous; bracts lance-subulate, shorter than the sepals, attenuate to a rigid spinose tip, glabrous; sepals very unequal, lance-subulate, 5-6 mm. long, indurate, attenuate to a rigid spinose tip, pilose with very slender white hairs; filaments subulate-linear, the tube short, the staminodia shorter than the filaments, obtuse, irregularly dentate or subentire; style short; utricle short, truncate and obscurely bidentate; seed broadly oblong, 1 mm. long, reddish-brown.
Type locality: Not stated.
Distribution: In thickets and along roadsides, Cuba.