Alternanthera sessilis
Dublin Core
Title
Alternanthera sessilis
Subject
Taxonomy
Phylum :Magnoliophyta
Class :Magnoliopsida
Order :Caryophyllales
Family :Amaranthaceae
Genus :Alternanthera
Species :Alternanthera sessilis
Phylum :Magnoliophyta
Class :Magnoliopsida
Order :Caryophyllales
Family :Amaranthaceae
Genus :Alternanthera
Species :Alternanthera sessilis
Synonyms
Achyranthes linearifolia Sw. ex Wikstr., Achyranthes sessilis (L.) Besser, Achyranthes triandra Roxb., Achyranthes villosa Blanco, Allaganthera forsskaolei Mart., Alternanthera achyranthes Forssk., Alternanthera achyranthoides Hiern, Alternanthera achyranthoides Forssk., Alternanthera angustifolia R.Br., Alternanthera denticulata R.Br., Alternanthera dubia Moq. [Illegitimate], Alternanthera ficoides P.Beauv., Alternanthera glabra Moq., Alternanthera major (Benth.) Domin, Alternanthera micrantha (Benth.) Domin [Illegitimate], Alternanthera nana R.Br., Alternanthera nodiflora R.Br., Alternanthera polygonoides (L.) R.Br. ex Sweet, Alternanthera prostrata D.Don, Alternanthera repens J.F.Gmel., Alternanthera sennii Mattei, Alternanthera sibirica (De Vest ex Roem. & Schult.) Steud., Alternanthera tenella Moq. [Illegitimate], Alternanthera tenuissima Suess., Alternanthera triandra Lam. [Illegitimate], Alternanthera uliginosa (Domin) Dinter, Gomphrena brasiliensis Moq. [Invalid], Gomphrena polygonoides L., Gomphrena sessilis L., Illecebrum sessile (L.) L., Paronychia sessilis (L.) Desf.
Common name
Keremak, pudoh, kermak bukit, dwarf copperleaf, sessile-flowered globe amaranth, sessile joyweed, water amaranth
Description
Characteristics
A perennial but sometimes annual herb that can grow up to 1 m tall. It is erect, ascending or creeping, often widely branched, with robust taproot, solid stems, sometimes floating in water and then fistulose in lower part and with smooth hairs.
A perennial but sometimes annual herb that can grow up to 1 m tall. It is erect, ascending or creeping, often widely branched, with robust taproot, solid stems, sometimes floating in water and then fistulose in lower part and with smooth hairs.
Morphology
Leaves
Linear-lance-shaped, oblong to ovate or obovate, measuring 1-15 cm x 0.5-3 cm, and hairless or sparsely hairy. The petiole is 1-5 mm long.
Flowering heads
Sessile with 1-veined tepals or only 3-veined at the very base, shiny white or purplish. The filaments are united at base into a very short cup.
Fruit
Obreniform, corky and measures about 2 mm long.
Chemical compound
β-carotene , ricinoleic acid, myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic acids, α-spirasterol, uronic acid, β-sitosterol and contain 33.26% of lutein out of the total carotenoids.
Plant part used
Whole plant, leaves, shoots and root
Traditional uses
- Can alleviate dementia.
- It is also used in the treatment of women’s genitourinary infections, vaginal discharge and post-partum haemorrhage.
- Used internally against intestinal inflammation and fever, and externally to treat wounds.
- Entire plant is used as an infusion to treat intestinal cramps, diarrhoea and dysentery and externally as a cooling agent to treat fever.
- Can treat hepatitis, tight chest, bronchitis, asthma and lung troubles, to stop bleeding and as a hair tonic.
- Indian used it as a remedy for dysentery, as a cholagogue, abortifacient, febrifuge, to treat snake bites and inflamed wounds and boils.
- A. sessilis roots are used for stomachache.
Medicinal uses
- The antioxidant activity of A. sessilis was measured by α,α-diphenyl-β-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity.
- The ethanol extract of A. sessilis showed 70% free radical scavenging activity.
- In the hydroxyl radical scavenging activity assay, A. sessilis showed 50% hydroxyl radical scavenging activity which in the anti-FeCl2-H2O2-stimulated linoleic acid peroxidation system, A. sessilis (2-8 mg) inhibited malondialdehyde (MDA) formation by 11.6 to 30.6%.
- A. sessilis reduced the peroxide value of heated groundnut and sunflower oil up to 4 weeks of storage. The polyphenol content of the leaves was 25 mg/g.
List of country
America, Africa, Asia and throughout Malaysia.
Creator
Alternanthera sessilis (Linnaeus, 1753)
Source
Publisher
Nur Athirah Roshaizi
Contributor
Nur Athirah Roshaizi
Language
English
Collection
Citation
Alternanthera sessilis (Linnaeus, 1753), “Alternanthera sessilis,” BIDARA, accessed February 4, 2026, https://bidara.uthm.edu.my/items/show/395.