中文名（Chinese Name）：虾钳菜
学名（Scientific Name）：Alternanthera sessilis (L.) R.Br. ex DC.
英文名（English Common Name）：
别名（Chinese Common Name）：莲子草、节节花
异名（Synonym）：Alternanthera denticulata R. Br.；Alternanthera nodiflora R. Br.；Gomphrena sessilis L.；Illecebrum sessile (L.) L.；Achyranthes sessilis (L.) Desf. ex Steud.；Alternanthera glabra Moq.；Achyranthes linearifolia Sw. ex Wikstr.； Achyranthes triandra Roxb.；Allaganthera forskalli Mart.；Allaganthera forsskaolei Mart.；Alternanthera angustifolia var. lanata Benth.；Alternanthera angustifolia var. macrocephala Domin；Alternanthera angustifolia var. typica Domin；Alternanthera major (Benth.) Domin；Alternanthera denticulata var. major Moq.；Alternanthera denticulata var. micrantha Benth.；Alternanthera denticulata var. uliginosa Domin；Alternanthera ficoides var. minor P.Beauv.；Alternanthera ficoides P.Beauv.；Alternanthera nana var. major Benth.；Alternanthera nodiflora var. lanceolata Moq.；Alternanthera nodiflora var. linearifolia Moq.；Alternanthera prostrata D.Don；Alternanthera sennii Mattei；Alternanthera sessilis f. lanceolata Kuntze；Alternanthera sessilis f. spathulifolia Kuntze；Alternanthera sessilis var. angustifolia Moq.；Alternanthera sessilis var. denticulata (R.Br.) Kuntze；Alternanthera sessilis var. major Moq.；Alternanthera sessilis var. neglecta Kuntze；Alternanthera sessilis var. nodiflora (R.Br.) Kuntze；Alternanthera sessilis var. parviflora Kuntze；Alternanthera sessilis var. stauntonii Moq.；Alternanthera sessilis var. tenuissima (Suess.) Backer；Alternanthera sibirica (De Vest ex Roem. & Schult.) Steud.；Alternanthera tenuissima Suess.；Alternanthera triandra var. denticulata (R.Br.) Maiden & Betche；Alternanthera triandra var. nodiflora (R.Br.) Maiden & Betche；Alternanthera uliginosa (Domin) Dinter；Gomphrena polygonoides L.；Illecebrum indicum Houtt.；Steiremis sessilifolia Raf.；Illecebrum angustifolium Spreng.；Illecebrum denticulatum Spreng.；Illecebrum glabrum Spreng. ex Moq.；Illecebrum nanum Spreng.；Illecebrum sibiricum Vent. ex Schult.；Paronychia dubia Moq.；Paronychia ficoidea Desf.；Paronychia sessilis Desf.  Paronychia tetragona Moench
科属（Family & Genus）：苋科（Amaranthaceae）莲子草属
形态特征（Description）：多年生草本，高10-45厘米；圆锥根粗，直径可达3毫米; 茎上升或匍匐，绿色或稍带紫色，有条纹及纵沟，沟内有柔毛，在节处有一行横生柔毛。叶片形状及大小有变化，条状披针形、矩圆形、倒卵形、卵状矩圆形，长1-8厘米，宽2-20毫米，顶端急尖、圆形或圆钝，基部渐狭，全缘或有不显明锯齿，两面无毛或疏生柔毛；叶柄长1-4毫米，无毛或有柔毛。头状花序1-4个，腋生，无总花梗，初为球形，后渐成圆柱形，直径3-6毫米; 花密生，花轴密生白色柔毛；苞片及小苞片白色，顶端短渐尖，无毛；苞片卵状披针形，长约1毫米，小苞片钻形，长1-1.5毫米；花被片卵形，长2-3毫米，白色，顶端渐尖或急尖，无毛，具1脉；雄蕊3,花丝长约0.7毫米，基部连合成杯状，花药矩圆形；退化雄蕊三角状钻形，比雄蕊短，顶端渐尖，全缘；花柱极短，柱头短裂。胞果倒心形，长2-2.5毫米，侧扁，翅状，深棕色，包在宿存花被片内。种子卵球形。花期5-7月，果期7-9月。
分布（Distribution）：产安徽、江苏、浙江、江西、湖南、湖北、四川、云南、贵州、福建、台湾、广东、广西。生在村庄附近的草坡、水沟、田边或沼泽、海边潮湿处。印度、缅甸、越南、马来西亚、菲律宾等地也有分布。
用途（Use）：全植物入药，有散瘀消毒、清火退热功效，治牙痛、痢疾，疗肠风、下血；嫩叶作为野菜食用，又可作饲料。
引自中国植物志英文版FOC Vol. 5 Page 427
Alternanthera sessilis (Linnaeus) R. Brown ex Candolle, Cat. Pl. Horti Monsp. 77. 1813.
莲子草 lian zi cao | Amaranthaceae  | Alternanthera
Gomphrena sessilis Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 1: 225. 1753; Alternanthera denticulata R. Brown; A. nodiflora R. Brown; Illecebrum sessile (Linnaeus) Linnaeus.
Herbs perennial, 10-45 cm tall. Stem ascending or creeping, green or somewhat tinged purple, striped, hairy, across nodes with a transverse row of hairs. Petiole 1-4 mm, glabrous or pilose; leaf blade linear-lanceolate, oblong-obovate, or ovate-oblong, 1-8 × 0.2-2 cm, glabrous or pilose, base attenuate, margin entire or slightly serrate, apex acute or obtuse. Heads 1-4, axillary, sessile, at first globose, later cylindric, 3-6 mm in diam. Flowers dense; rachis densely white hairy. Bracts and bracteoles white, glabrous, apex acuminate; bracts ovate-lanceolate, ca. 1 mm; bracteoles subulate, 1-1.5 mm. Tepals white, ovate, 2-3 mm, glabrous, with a vein, apex acuminate or acute. Stamens 3; filaments ca. 0.7 mm, connate into a cup at base; anthers oblong; pseudostaminodes subulate, shorter than stamens, margin entire, apex acuminate. Style very short; stigma shortly parted. Utricles enclosed in perianth, dark brown, obovoid, 2-2.5 mm. Seeds ovoid. Fl. May-Jul, fr. Jul-Sep. 2n = 34, 40.
Roadsides, gardens, swamps. Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Zhejiang, Yunnan [Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Sikkim, Thailand, Vietnam].

（责任编辑：徐晔春）