Iresine angustifolia

Iresine angustifolia (common name in English: white snowplant,[1] in Spanish: arlomo) is a plant in the genus Iresine of the family Amaranthaceae.[2]

Iresine angustifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Amaranthaceae
Genus:	Iresine
Species:	I. angustifolia
Binomial name
Iresine angustifolia Euphrasén

Description

It is an herbaceous plant; it usually grows to 1.5 meters. in most cases it has many branches with leaves between 5 and 10 cm long, its shape varies form linear ovate to lance-shaped.[3]

Distribution

Iresine angustifolia occurs in the southwestern part of the United States, Mexico, Central America, South America, West Indies[3] and some islands of the Caribbean.[4] It can be found at middle to lower altitudes usually on banks near the coast but also on thickets and on dry districts.[3]

Uses

It is not cultivated, however it is considered useful in traditional herbal medicine in treating the bites of the insect also known as arlomo.

Taxonomy

In 1788, it was first identified by Bengt Anders Euphrasén on Saint Barthélemy. He published a detailed description of the plant in a book about the condition and flora of the Island. It was first published in Swedish in 1975 and then in German in 1978.[4]

Common name

In Mexico its common name is arlomo.[5]

References

1. "Iresine angustifolia Euph. Show All white snowplant". Natural Resources Conservation Service. USDA. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
2. "Iresine aff. angustifolia Euphrasen". UNIBIO: Colecciones Biológicas (in Spanish). National Autonomous University of Mexico. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
3. H. Liogier, Alain; F. Martorell, Luis (2000). Flora of Puerto Rico and Adjacent Islands: A Systematic Synopsis. La Editorial, UPR. p. 164. ISBN 084770369X. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
4. Nyberg, Gudrun. "A short biography on the ichthyolog and botanist Euphrasén" (PDF). Swedish Linnaeus Society. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
5. Flora de Manantlan (in Spanish). BRIT Press. 1995. p. 109. ISBN 1889878278.

External links

• Page with documented locations: Lista de especímenes de Iresine angustifolia (in Spanish)