Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
ALTERNANTHERA PHILOXEROIDES
GRISEB
Phylum: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Common name: Alligator weed
Distribution: South America, Australia, China, New Zealand, Thailand,
United States
Habitat: Freshwater systems
Description: This species grows to a maximum size of 10 m. Stems of this
plant are long, branched hollow, leshy, and succulent. Leaves are simple,
elliptic with smooth margins, and are opposite in pairs or whorls. Flowers
(10 cm) are whitish and ball shaped.
Compounds and activities: From the aerial parts of this species, alternanan-
thin B and N-trans-feruloyl-3,5-dimethoxytyramine possessing antitumor
properties have been isolated (Fang et al., 2007).
H
3
C
O
OH
H
3
C
HO
HO
O
O
O
HO
OH
O
alternananthin B
