Flora canaria > Especies silvestres
Achyranthes aspera
Achyranthes aspera L.
Familia
AMARANTHACEAE
Malpica, Rabo de gato, Sangradera
Achyranthes aspera, commonly known as African cadillo, cat’s tail or malpica, is a species of herbaceous plant belonging to the Amaranthaceae family. It is native to the tropical Old World, but is now widely distributed across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, behaving in many areas as a field weed or a highly aggressive invasive plant.
It is a perennial or annual herb (sometimes subshrubby or woody at the base) that can grow to between 30 cm and 2 metres in height. Its stems are erect, quadrangular and pubescent, giving them a rough texture to the touch.
The leaves are opposite, simple, ovate to elliptical in shape, with entire or wavy margins and densely covered in hairs, especially on the underside.
Its most distinctive feature is its flowers, arranged in narrow, elongated terminal spikes (measuring 10 to 45 cm). The flowers are hermaphroditic and have hard, spiny tepals during fruiting, which enables them to cling firmly to animals’ fur or clothing, resulting in highly efficient biological dispersal.
The plant is markedly ubiquitous and ruderal, thriving easily in urban areas, along roadsides, on degraded land, in pastures and on vegetable garden walls (as is the case in the Canary Islands, where it has been introduced).
In agriculture, it is regarded as a harmful weed that repeatedly affects fruit orchards and maize crops. Due to its high seed production rate and its ability to colonise rapidly, it is progressively expanding its range into more southerly areas of South America.
In addition to its invasive nature, in various cultures across Asia and Africa (where it is known in Sanskrit as Apamarga) it is traditionally used in herbal medicine for its supposed digestive and diuretic properties.
Malpica, Rabo de gato, Sangradera
Achyranthes aspera, commonly known as African cadillo, cat’s tail or malpica, is a species of herbaceous plant belonging to the Amaranthaceae family. It is native to the tropical Old World, but is now widely distributed across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide, behaving in many areas as a field weed or a highly aggressive invasive plant.
It is a perennial or annual herb (sometimes subshrubby or woody at the base) that can grow to between 30 cm and 2 metres in height. Its stems are erect, quadrangular and pubescent, giving them a rough texture to the touch.
The leaves are opposite, simple, ovate to elliptical in shape, with entire or wavy margins and densely covered in hairs, especially on the underside.
Its most distinctive feature is its flowers, arranged in narrow, elongated terminal spikes (measuring 10 to 45 cm). The flowers are hermaphroditic and have hard, spiny tepals during fruiting, which enables them to cling firmly to animals’ fur or clothing, resulting in highly efficient biological dispersal.
The plant is markedly ubiquitous and ruderal, thriving easily in urban areas, along roadsides, on degraded land, in pastures and on vegetable garden walls (as is the case in the Canary Islands, where it has been introduced).
In agriculture, it is regarded as a harmful weed that repeatedly affects fruit orchards and maize crops. Due to its high seed production rate and its ability to colonise rapidly, it is progressively expanding its range into more southerly areas of South America.
In addition to its invasive nature, in various cultures across Asia and Africa (where it is known in Sanskrit as Apamarga) it is traditionally used in herbal medicine for its supposed digestive and diuretic properties.
