Hairy Joyweed

Achyranthes martinicensis (Moq.) Standley, Jour. Wash. Acad
Sci. 5: 73. 1915.
Telanthera martinicensis Moq. in DC. Prodr. 13 2 : 366. 1849.
Stems procumbent, 1-3 dm. long, slender, sparsely branched, the branches geniculate, striate, pilose; petioles 1-2 mm, long; leaf-blades orbicular or ovate-orbicular, 7-10 mm, long, 6-8 mm. wide, obtuse or rounded at the apex, mucronulate, firm, puberulent and green on the upper surface, tomentulose beneath, the hairs hispidulous; heads sessile or very shortly pedunculate, axillary, solitary, ovoid, the flowers sordid-s ramineous; bracts and bractlets half as long as the sepals, ovate, mucronate, shortvillous ; sepals 3 mm. long, the outer ones ovatelanceolate, 5-nerved, the inner narrower, shortvillous ; stamen-tube short; staminodia slightly longer than the filaments, ligulate, laciniate at the apex; style elongate; utricle ovate; seed lenticular, fuscous, shining.
Type locality: Martinique. Distribution: Martinique.

Achyranthes halimifolia Lam. Encyc. 1: 547. 1785
Illecebrum frutescens Viler. Stirp. Nov. 75. 1788.
Illecebrum alsinaefolium Scop. Delic. Insub. 3: 27. 1788. Not /. alsmaefohum L. 1767.
Illecebrum limense Dum.-Cours. Bot. Cult. 1: 646. 1802.
Paronychia frutescens Desf. Tabl. Bot. ed. 2. 54. 1815.
Telanthera Crucis Moq. in DC. Prodr. 13 2 : 362. 1849.
Gomphrena Crucis Vahl; Moq. in DC. Prodr 13*: .362 , as synonym. 1849
Illecebrum incanum Rich.; Moq. in DC. Prodr. 13 2 : 362, as synonym. 1849.
Telanthera frutescens Moq. in DC. Prodr 13 2 : 365. 1849.
Telanthera frutescens acutifolia Moq. in DC. Prodr. 13 2 : 366. 184V. Alternanthera ficodea halimifolia Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 539. 1891.
Telantker a flavogrisea "Urban, Symb. Ant. 1: 300. Ap 1899.
Alternanthera asterotricha Uline, Field Columb. Mus. Publ. Bot. 1: 419. Au 1899.
Alternanthera flavogrisea Urban, Symb. Ant. 5: 340. 1907.
Alternanthera Cruets Boldingh, Fl. Dutch W. Ind. 1: 58. 1909.
Telanthera halimifolia A. Stewart, Proc. Calif. Acad. IV. 1: 58. 1911.
Alternanthera ficoidea flavogrisea Fawc. & Rendle, Fl. Jam. 3: 140. 1914.
Prostrate or decumbent perennial, often suffrutescent at the base; stems 3-10 dm. long, simple or sparsely branched, subangulate, striate, when young densely pubescent with short, closely appressed, grayish, hispidulous hairs, usually glabrate in age; petioles 2-8 mm. long; leaf -blades oblong, oval, elliptic-oblong, or obovate-oblong, 1.5-6 cm. long, 1-2.2 cm. wide, usually rounded at the apex but sometimes acutish, acute or acuminate at the base, firm, densely pubescent beneath with short appressed hispidulous hairs, or glabrate in age, the upper surface soon glabrate; heads axillary or terminal, sessile or subsessile, solitary or glomerate, short-cylindric or ovoid, 12 mm. long or shorter, the flowers stramineous; bracts and bractlets half as long as the sepals, ovate, acuminate, long-mucronate, appressed-pilose; sepals 3-4 mm. long, ovate-oblong, acute, 3or 5-nerved, densely pubescent with short hispidulous hairs; filaments linear, the tube short; staminodia ligulate, longer than the filaments, laciniate at the apex; style short; utricle sub globose; seed 1 mm. long, reddish-brown, shining.
Type locality: Vicinity of Lima, Peru.
Distribution: In thickets and on beaches along the coast, Jamaica, Danish West Indies, and Grenada; Yucatan to Guatemala and Panama; also from Colombia to Venezuela and Chile.