ACHYRANTHES ASPERA (L.)
Family: Amaranthaceae
Synonym: Achyranthes indica (L.) Mill.
Common names: Devil's horsewhip, Soldier rod, Queue de rat, Collant, rabo de chancho, rabo de ratón, mozotillo
An erect plant, with glabrous and branching stem, usually a perennial herb with opposite lanceolate leaves. The root is a taproot. Flowers pale green in long terminal and short axillary spikes, closely bunched. Lower flowers in the spikes reflexed. The bracts with small spiny tips which enable the fruit stick to clothes and wool/skin of animals coming in passing contact with the spikes. The fruit is a capsule and seeds are oblong, somewhat red and spiny.
The plant reproduces by its seeds, which can be disseminated by water and animals.
A common weed in irrigated orchards and waste areas. It is found in the Near East, Eastern Africa, Central America and the Caribbean.
Countries: Nigeria
ALTERNANTHERA SESSILIS (L.) R. Br. ex Roem. & Schult
Family: Amaranthaceae
Annual or perennial; creeping stems with erect shoots,up to 50 cm height; leaves opposite, up to 8 cm long. Inflorescence white, to 1 cm across with segments to 2.5 mm long. It propagates mainly via seeds.
This is a plant able to grow in different ecosystems, from moist lowland rice to upland conditions.
Countries: Bangladesh, Nepal
AMARANTHUS VIRIDIS L. Family: Amaranthaceae
Common names: Pigweed, bledo
Annual and erect plant, up to 80 cm tall. Inflorescence, flowers in terminal racemes. Fruit 1-2 mm long. It reproduces via seeds, which germinate readily if placed closed to the soil surface. It does not germinate if seeds are below 3 cm soil depth.
It is a common plant in hot and humid areas. It grows well in irrigated vegetables, legumes and other crops. It is found in hot climatic areas all over the world.
A. viridis is well controlled using stake seedbed preparation as well as with the use of several pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicides.
Countries: Brazil, Bangla Desh, Iran, Thailand
CHENOPODIUM MURALE L.
Family: Chenopodiaceae
Synonym: Chenopodium triangulare Forsk.
Common name: Nettle-leafed Goosefoot
An erect, silvery green herb with alternate leaves. Usually less than one meter tall. The leaves are triangular, sharply, unequally toothed, to about 8 cm long, about 4 cm wide. Inflorescence axillary and terminal, dense mealy panicles. Perianth of 5, green, blunt sepals. Stamens 5, antitepalous. Seed with narrow, acute margins.
This plant is common in vegetables, cereals and other annual crops. Widely distributed in North Africa and Near East.
Countries: Jordan, Morocco, Oman
CLEOME VISCOSA L.
Family: Capparidaceae(Cleomaceae)
Annual and erect plant, stems up to 90 cm height; leaves alternate compound, with 3-6 leaflets. Inflorescence, yellow flowers in leaf axils. The fruit is a cylindrical pod. Its reproduction is by seeds.
Common in hot, humid and semi-dry areas in several crop areas, but rarely abundant. It is found in hot climatic areas all over the world.
Countries: Dominican Republic, Thailand, Togo,
COMMELINA DIFFUSA Burm. F.
Family: Commelinaceae
Common name: Canutillo
Annual and creeping spreading plant. Inflorescence axillary, peduncled, the flowers cymose, enclosed in a complicate leaf-like spathe, the cyme usually 2 in each spathe, few-flowered; inner petals 6-7 mm long, the outer ones smaller.
C. diffusa is a plant of hot environment, it can be found in irrigated and lowland areas. It reproduces by seeds and cut stems.
It is found in hot climatic countries all over the world and is very common in rice, vegetables, legumes and cereals.
The same control procedures recommended for Commelina benghalensis can also be used for C. diffusa.
Countries: Bahamas, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nepal, Vietnam
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