Code
AERJA
Growth form
broadleaf
Biological cycle
vivacious
Habitat
terrestrial
synonym | Achyranthes alopecuroides Lam. |
synonym | Achyranthes incana Roxb. |
synonym | Achyranthes javanica (Burm.f.) Pers. |
synonym | Achyranthes lanceolata Zoll. & Moritzi ex Moq. |
synonym | Achyranthes persica (Burm.f.) Merr. |
synonym | Aerva aegyptiaca J.F.Gmel. |
synonym | Aerva alopecuroides (Lam.) Dum.Cours. |
synonym | Aerva incana Mart. |
synonym | Aerva javanica var. javanica |
synonym | Aerva javanica var. latifolia Vahl |
synonym | Aerva ovata Ehrenb. ex Schweinf. |
synonym | Aerva persica (Burm.f.) Merr. |
synonym | Aerva persica var. latifolia (Vahl) Maire |
synonym | Aerva platyphylla Ehrenb. ex Schweinf. |
synonym | Aerva suaveolens Edgew. |
synonym | Aerva trichophylla Ehrenb. ex Schweinf. |
synonym | Aerva wallichii Moq. |
synonym | Celosia lanata var. latifolia Vahl |
synonym | Illecebrum javanicum (Burm.f.) L. |
synonym | Illecebrum latifolium Steud. |
synonym | Illecebrum obcordatum Vahl ex Steud. |
synonym | Illecebrum tomentosum Moq. |
synonym | Iresine javanica Burm.f. |
synonym | Iresine persica Burm.f. |
synonym | Uretia persica (Burm.f.) Kuntze |
English |
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Malagasy |
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Global description
Aerva javanica is a perennial herb or a sub shrub with upright and branched stem , tomentose, whitish, 0.3 to 1.5 m high. The leaves are simple, alternate, shortly-stalked, woolly or sometimes glabrescent on mature leaves, size and shape are variable, obovate-lanceolate to lanceolate or almost linear. Inflorescences are axillary or terminal, in dense cylindrical, silky, white spikes, grouped in leafless panicles. The flowers are small, wolly, with five tepals. Seeds are small, lenticular, shiny, brown or black.
General habit
A. javanica is a white, woolly subshrub, reaching 1.50m high.
Underground system
The root is a taproot
Stem
Stem erect, branched, ringed, tomentose, with stellate hairs and whitish branching ; stem tomentum consists of stellate and branched hairs.
Leaves
Leaves simple, alternate, obovate-lanceolate, lanceolate to linear or oblong, shortly-stalked, woolly and sometimes glabrescent on mature leaves. Lamina 3 to 5 cm long and 1 to 2 cm wide, base attenuated in an acute corner and apex rounded or wedged, mucronate; margin entire. Both faces are woolly grayish green.
Inflorescence
Axillary or terminal inflorescences in dense cylindrical spikes, cream in colour, grouped in leafless panicles ; spikes of 3 to 8 cm long , with a diameter of 4 to 10 mm. Bracts ovate, acuminate, mucronate, tomentose.
Flower
Flowers small, usually polygamous ,with 5 tepals: 2 outer obovate-lanceolate, acuminate, 3 inner are narrower, obtuse. The stamens are fused at the base; Ovary subspherical with short style.
Fruit
The fruit is a utricle.
Seed
Small seeds, 0.9 to 1.25 mm in diameter, lenticular, shiny, black.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Madagascar: Aerva javanica can flower and produce seeds all year.
Morocco: Aerva javanica flowers after the rains in the Sahara.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Aerva javanica is a perennial plant that is propagated by seed. Small seeds produced in large quantities are dispersed by wind, animals and agricultural implements.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Comoros: Absent
Madagascar: Aerva javanica grows in more or less alluvial sandy soils and ferruginous soils called "red sands" of the coastal plains, of medium to low fertility. Agro-ecological zones of semiarid South and South-west plains of Madagascar. It is a plant of fallow, a ruderal species and weed of rainfed coastal plains in semi-arid zone (altitude less than 500 m), in sunny land. Weed of rainfed cropping systems such as cotton, cassava, corn and lima beans, cowpeas and groundnuts in a semi-intensive system without fertilization.
Mauritius: Absent
Morocco: Aerva javanica grows in the sandy, silty beds of desert wadis.
Reunion: Absent
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Origin
Areva javanica is native to North Africa.
Worldwide distribution
North Africa, West, Central and East, Middle East, Arabian Peninsula, India, Pakistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Australia.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Local weediness
Comoros: Absent.
Madagascar: Aerva javanica is en infrequent and usually not abundant weed. Its control is not difficult in annual crops but it tends to form dense populations locally, dominant and troublesome in fallows on red sands. It can be locally abundant and interferes with soil preparation in fallow on reddish sands plains in the semiarid Southwest area (cropping systems based cotton and cassava).
Maurice: Absent.
Reunion: Absent.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Food: The whole plant or the leaves can be eaten as a vegetable.
Medicinal: Aerva javanica is used in traditional medicine to treat certain infectious diseases. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of methanol extracts of leaves of A. javanica confirm the use of this plant in traditional medicine (P. Srinivas Reddy and Ram S. 2012).
Crafts: The fibers are used.
Agronomy: Aerva javanica can be used to protect sandy soils against erosion.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Local Management
Comoros: Absent
Madagascar: Control by cleaning and manual weeding (Southwest) in cropping systems based on cotton and cassava.
Maurice: Absent
Reunion: Absent
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Herbarium pictures ReCOLNAT: https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=Aerva%2520javanica
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Root | Root |
Kingdom | Plantae |
Phylum | Tracheophyta |
Class | Magnoliopsida |
Order | Caryophyllales |
Family | Amaranthaceae |
Genus | Aerva |
Species | Aerva javanica (Burm.f.) C.Jussieu ex Schult. |