Alligatorweed
Alligatorweed
Alternanthera philoxeroides
Plantae
UNCOMMON

Stats

Lifespan
Perennial
Size
Small
Diet
Photosynthetic
Biome
Freshwater wetland
Range
South America
Movement
Sessile
Breeding
Runners
Status
Uncommon

About

This aquatic plant thrives along riverbanks throughout South America. Its hollow stems allow it to float on water and form dense, impenetrable mats.

Life cycle

  1. 1.
    seed
    A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
  2. 2.
    sprout
    A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
  3. 3.
    sapling
    A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
  4. 4.
    mature
    Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Family
Amaranthaceae
Genus
Alternanthera
Species
Alternanthera philoxeroides