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

Celosia ''Celosia'' ( ) is a small genus of edible and ornamental plants in the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae. Its species are commonly known as woolflowers, or, if the flower heads are crested by fasciation, cockscombs. The plants are well known in E ...

'') is a

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

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, maki ...

and a cosmopolitan pioneer plant of disturbed areas, and one of 51 species in the genus '' Gomphrena''. 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 about long. The flowers are in dense terminal spikes and grow on a woolly receptacle;

perianth The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower. It is a structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla (petals) or tepal ...

segments are papery, 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 about in length, lentil-shaped, brown and glossy, and is routinely distributed by ants. Originally from the Americas where it is native to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay and Uruguay, it has become naturalised in Asia in Bhutan, China, Indonesia, Japan, New Caledonia, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, New Zealand, Christmas Island and Australia, and Hawaii in the Pacific region, while in the Africa region it is found in Botswana, Cameroon, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Lesotho, Madeira Islands, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Réunion, Rwanda, Socotra, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

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