| Alternanthera brasiliana var. villosa |
|
| 'Little Ruby' cultivar |
|
| Scientific classification |
| Kingdom: |
Plantae |
| Clade: |
Tracheophytes |
| Clade: |
Angiosperms |
| Clade: |
Eudicots |
| Order: |
Caryophyllales |
| Family: |
Amaranthaceae |
| Genus: |
Alternanthera |
| Species: |
|
| Variety: |
A. b. var. villosa |
| Trinomial name |
Alternanthera brasiliana var. villosa
|
| Synonyms |
- Achyranthes ramosissima (Mart.) Standl. (1915)
- Alternanthera brasiliana var. moquinii (Webb ex Moq.) Uline & W.L.Bray (1895)
- Alternanthera brasiliana var. strigosa (Hassk.) Kuntze (1891)
- Alternanthera dentata Stuchlík ex R.E.Fr. (1913), pro syn.
- Alternanthera moquinii (Webb ex Moq.) Dusén (1905)
- Alternanthera moquinii var. villosa Dusén (1905)
- Alternanthera ramosissima (Mart.) Chodat & Hassl. (1903)
- Alternanthera ramosissima var. missionum Pedersen (1997)
- Alternanthera ramosissima var. reptans Pedersen (1997)
- Alternanthera strigosa Hassk. (1839)
- Alternanthera virgata (Schrad.) Suess. (1934)
- Celosia altissima Salzm. ex Moq. (1849)
- Celosia diffusa Hoffmanns. ex Seub. (1875)
- Gomphrena patula J.C.Wendl.3 (1798)
- Mogiphanes diffusa Mart. (1826)
- Mogiphanes ramosissima Mart. (1826)
- Mogiphanes villosa Mart. (1826)
- Mogiphanes virgata Schrad. (1834)
- Telanthera brasiliana var. villosa Moq. (1849) (basionym)
- Telanthera brasiliensis f. grisea Chodat (1901)
- Telanthera diffusa (Mart.) Moq. (1849)
- Telanthera moquinii Webb ex Moq. (1849)
- Telanthera ramosissima (Mart.) Moq. (1849)
- Telanthera ramosissima var. diffusa (Mart.) Seub. (1875)
- Telanthera strigosa (Hassk.) Moq. (1849)
- Telanthera virgata (Schrad.) Moq. (1849)
|
Alternanthera brasiliana var. villosa, known as little ruby and ruby leaf alternanthera, is a fast-growing ornamental groundcover plant in the amaranth family. It ranges from southeastern Mexico to Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, and northeastern Argentina.
It was first described as Telanthera brasiliana var. villosa in 1849 by Alfred Moquin-Tandon. It is known by many synonyms, including Alternanthera dentata, described by Stuchlík and Robert Elias Fries in 1913.
The plant is chiefly grown for its coloured foliage. It is similar in appearance to Alternanthera bettzickiana, and both have some strikingly similar looking cultivars.