Alternanthera nodiflora
R.Br. Common JoyweedAnnual, stems ascending to erect, to c. 40 cm long, glabrous except about the nodes and along opposite lines of internerves on young growth. Leaves linear-lanceolate, 1.5–6 cm long, 2–5 mm wide, virtually glabrous; margins sparsely denticulate. Flowers in axillary globular spikes, 6–20 mm diam., opposite pairs of spikes often ± coalescing; bracts and bracteoles subulate, 2–3 mm long; tepals equal, narrowly acuminate, 3–5 mm long, often recurved in the upper part, white, glabrous; anthers usually 3, staminodes absent or very short. Fruit obcordate, c. 1 mm long, 1.5 mm wide. Flowers ?Jan.–Apr.
MuM, Wim, VVP, VRiv, MSB, RobP, MuF, Gold, NIS, HSF. All mainland states. Collected rarely in Victoria, mainly from the Murray River floodplain downstream from Boundary Benb.
Walsh, N.G. (1996). Amaranthaceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae, pp. 199–215. Inkata Press, Melbourne.