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Alternanthera pungens Kunth

Synonyms

Alternanthera achyrantha, Alternanthera lorentzii, Alternanthera repens

Common names

Khaki Burr

My notes

Only found in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms, where it often forms dense carpet in fall.

Extract from Wikipedia article

Alternanthera pungens Kunth is a creeping, prostrate perennial pioneer plant of the Amaranthaceae family, spreading by seed and vegetatively, with roots often developing at the nodes of spreading stems. A plant of roadsides, path verges and waste places (ruderal), it is thought to have come from Central and South America, and to have become widely established in Australia and Southern Africa. Other species of this genus, e.g. Alternanthera sessilis (L.) R.Br. ex DC., have long been recorded from Tropical Africa, and would be difficult to prove as invaders.[+]

AI-generated Description

Alternanthera pungens, also known as Khaki Weed, is a prostrate, herbaceous perennial native to South America. In Qatar, it has been naturalized and is considered an invasive species. Studies have found that A. pungens grows abundantly in disturbed areas, such as roadsides and construction sites, where it can outcompete native vegetation. Its presence has been reported in various regions of Qatar, including Doha and the surrounding desert areas. The plant's adaptability to arid environments and ability to thrive in poor soil conditions have contributed to its spread in the country.

Close up of Khaki Burr weed (Alternanthera pungens) on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. South-western Qatar, October 25, 2014
Salwa Road, Qatar

Khaki Burr weed (Alternanthera pungens) on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. South-western Qatar, October 25, 2014
Salwa Road, Qatar

Carpet of Khaki Burr weed (Alternanthera pungens) on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. South-western Qatar, October 25, 2014
Unnamed Road, Qatar

Mats of Khaki Burr weed (Alternanthera pungens) on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. South-western Qatar, October 25, 2014
Salwa Road, Qatar

Khaki Burr weed (Alternanthera pungens) carpeting the ground on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. South-western Qatar, October 25, 2014
Salwa Road, Qatar

Khaki Burr weed (Alternanthera pungens) growing among spurge on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. South-western Qatar, October 25, 2014
Salwa Road, Qatar

Khaki Burr weed (Alternanthera pungens) growing among prostrate spurge on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. South-western Qatar, October 25, 2014
Salwa Road, Qatar

Khaki Burr weed (Alternanthera pungens) and spurge Euphorbia prostrata on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. South-western Qatar, October 25, 2014
Salwa Road, Qatar

Khaki Burr weed (Alternanthera pungens) growing on sandy road on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. South-western Qatar, October 25, 2014
Unnamed Road, Qatar

Close up of Khaki Burr weed (Alternanthera pungens) on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. South-western Qatar, November 15, 2014
Salwa Road, Qatar

Fresh leaves of Khaki Burr weed (Alternanthera pungens) on a field on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. Qatar, April 10, 2015
Al Wukair Street, Qatar

Spreading of Khaki Burr weed (Alternanthera pungens) on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. Qatar, August 21, 2015
Al Wukair Street, Qatar

Khaki Burr weed (Alternanthera pungens) on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. Qatar, October 9, 2015
Al Wukair St, Qatar

Carpet of Khaki Burr weed (Alternanthera pungens) on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. Qatar, October 9, 2015
Al Wukair St, Qatar

Dense infestation by Khaki Burr weed (Alternanthera pungens) on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. Qatar, October 9, 2015
Al Wukair St, Qatar

Close up of Khaki Burr weed (Alternanthera pungens) on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya (Irkaya) Farms. Qatar, October 9, 2015
Unnamed Road, Qatar

AI-generated summary of observations

Alternanthera pungens, also known as Khaki Burr weed, was observed growing abundantly on Green Circles (center-pivot irrigation) in Irkhaya Farms, south-western Qatar. It formed dense carpets and mats, covering large areas of the ground. The plant was seen growing among other species, such as spurge and prostrate spurge, and was also found on sandy roads. Observations were made over several months, from October 2014 to October 2015, with the plant showing no signs of decline. In fact, its infestation appeared to be dense and widespread, suggesting that it is a highly adaptable and resilient species in this environment. The plant's growth was observed in various stages, including close-ups of its leaves and flowers, and its ability to spread quickly and form large colonies.

Links

• Flora of Qatar.
• Unknown plants or plants without names.
• Duplicate and extra pictures of plants.
• Earlier version of collection of plants.
• Other collections of pictures from Qatar: Lizards of Qatar, Cats of Qatar, Camels of Qatar, and Fish of Qatar.
• Picture archives.
• Home page of A. Sergeev.

Outside links

• Alternanthera pungens, Wikipedia article
• Alternanthera pungens from www.catalogueoflife.org
• Ekhlas M. M. Abdel Bary, The Flora of Qatar, Volume I: The Dicotyledons. Doha 2012
• Flora of Qatar, Volume II: The Monocotyledons
• Illustrated Checklist of the Flora of Qatar. John Norton et al. 2009
• Qatar eNature. Flora
• Ali Al-Rawi, Flowering plants of Kuwait, 1985
• Plants of Kuwait
• Flora of Saudi Arabia, Al-Qassim Region
• Flora of Eastern Saudi Arabia by Rain and Dust at Flickr
• Plants of South-Western Morocco
• Pictures from Qatar (Flickr/cpmkutty)
• Arabian plants by Gary Brown
• Flora of Israel

How the web page was created

• A list of plants with their common names was written using online sources and books.
• Web pages were written by a program consisting of several scripts.
• Full names, synonyms, and classification of plants were found online from catalogueoflife.org and theplantlist.org using a script.
• Pictures of plants were selected from a database using a script.
• This web page was written using a script.

Acknowledgements

QNHG (Qatar Natural History Group) and associated people, for a possibility to participate in their field excursions and to learn about local nature.