Chaff Flower

Perennial herbs with entire, opposite leaves. Inflorescence a slender spike, terminal on the stems and branches. Bracts with midrib excurrent into a spine. Modified sterile flowers 0. Flowers solitary in the bracts, bisexual. Bracteoles 2. Tepals 4-5, 1-3(-5)-nerved, narrowly lanceolate, mucronate with the excurrent midrib. Bracteoles with a spiny awn, the awn exceeding the membranous wings of the lamina. Stamens 5 (in ours); filaments alternating with pseudostaminodes. Fruits strongly deflexed, closely appressed to the inflorescence axis.

rightA. bidentata (1-5), A. aspera (6-11) & A. longifolia (12)

Achyranthes is a genus of medicinal and ornamental plants in the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae. Chaff flower is a common name for plants in this genus.

Species include:

Achyranthes ancistrophora C.C.Towns. Achyranthes arborescens R.Br. Achyranthes aspera L. (= A. argentea) (Sanskrit : apamarg (अपामार्ग)) Achyranthes atollensis (extinct) Achyranthes bidentata Blume Achyranthes coynei Santapau Achyranthes diandra Roxb. Achyranthes fasciculata (Suess.) C.C.Towns. Achyranthes faureri Achyranthes mangarevica Suess. Achyranthes marchionica R.Br. Achyranthes margaretarum de Lange Achyranthes mutica A.Gray ex H.Mann Achyranthes shahii M.R.Almeida & S.M.Almeida Achyranthes splendens Mart. ex Moq. Achyranthes talbotii Hutch. & Dalziel