Taxon:  Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Juss. ex Schult.



Summary
Genus:
Aerva
Family:
Amaranthaceae
Nomen number:
101480
Place of publication:
Syst. veg. 5:565.  1819 (A. L. Jussieu, Ann. Mus. Natl. Hist. Nat. 2:131.  1803, nom. inval.)
Verified:
07/18/1988 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
1 (0  active, 0  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations
Basionym
Iresine javanica Burm. f.

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Aerva persica (Burm. f.) Merr.
Aerva tomentosa Forssk.
Iresine persica Burm. f.

No images


Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  2. Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1963-. Flore du Cameroun. Note: lists as Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Schult.
  3. Berhaut, J. 1971-. Flore illustrée du Senegal. Note: lists as Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Schult.
  4. Burkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa. Note: lists as Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Schult.
  5. Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
  6. El-Hadidi, M. N. & M. S. Abdallah. 1980-. Flora of Egypt.
  7. Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
  8. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
  9. Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist. Note: lists as Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Schult.
  10. Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
  11. Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
  12. Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia Note: introduced
  13. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
  14. Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
  15. Norton, J. et al. 2009. Illustrated checklist of the flora of Qatar.
  16. Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
  17. Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica. Note: = Aerva persica (Burm. f.) Merr.
  18. Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
  19. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: lists as Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Schult.
  20. Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishkapokbush  1Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia Note: introduced
Englishpillow-weed  1Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS). Australian plant common name database (on-line resource).
Arabicra'  2Norton, J. et al. 2009. Illustrated checklist of the flora of Qatar.
Arabictirf  2Norton, J. et al. 2009. Illustrated checklist of the flora of Qatar.
Arabictuwaim  2Norton, J. et al. 2009. Illustrated checklist of the flora of Qatar.
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaKenya  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: lists as Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Schult.
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaTanzania  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: lists as Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Schult.
1NativeAfricaEast Tropical AfricaUganda  Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: lists as Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Schult.
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaChad   
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSomalia  Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
1NativeAfricaNortheast Tropical AfricaSudan   
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaAlgeria  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist. Note: lists as Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Schult.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaEgypt  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist. Note: lists as Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Schult.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaLibya  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist. Note: lists as Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Schult.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaMorocco  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist. Note: lists as Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Schult.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMalawi  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaSouth Tropical AfricaMozambique  Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
1NativeAfricaSouthern AfricaBotswana  Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaMali   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaMauritania   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaNiger   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaNigeria   
1NativeAfricaWest Tropical AfricaSenegal   
1NativeAfricaWest-Central Tropical AfricaCameroon  Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1963-. Flore du Cameroun. Note: lists as Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Schult.
1NativeAfricaWestern Indian OceanMadagascar   
1NativeAsia-TemperateArabian PeninsulaSaudi Arabia   
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaAfghanistan  Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica. Note: = Aerva persica (Burm. f.) Merr.
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaEgyptSinai  
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaIran  Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica. Note: = Aerva persica (Burm. f.) Merr.
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaIsrael   
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaJordan   
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentIndia   
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentPakistan  Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndian SubcontinentSri Lanka  Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
1NativeAsia-TropicalIndo-ChinaMyanmar   
4NaturalizedAustralasiaAustraliaAustralia  Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia Note: introduced
Native
Africa
  • NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco
  • NORTHEAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Sudan, Somalia, Chad
  • EAST TROPICAL AFRICA: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda
  • WEST-CENTRAL TROPICAL AFRICA: Cameroon
  • WEST TROPICAL AFRICA: Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal
  • SOUTH TROPICAL AFRICA: Mozambique, Malawi
  • SOUTHERN AFRICA: Botswana
  • WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Madagascar
Asia-Temperate
  • ARABIAN PENINSULA: Saudi Arabia
  • WESTERN ASIA: Afghanistan, Egypt [Sinai], Iran, Israel, Jordan
Asia-Tropical
  • INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan
  • INDO-CHINA: Myanmar
Naturalized
Australasia
  • AUSTRALIA: Australia

Reference(s)
  1. Aubréville, A. et al., eds. 1963-. Flore du Cameroun. Note: lists as Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Schult.
  2. Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980-. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon.
  3. Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
  4. Germishuizen, G. & N. L. Meyer, eds. 2003. Plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14 National Botanical Institute, Pretoria, South Africa.
  5. Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist. Note: lists as Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Schult.
  6. Lazarides, M. & B. Hince. 1993. CSIRO Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia Note: introduced
  7. Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
  8. Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica. Note: = Aerva persica (Burm. f.) Merr.
  9. Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
  10. Turrill, W. B. et al., eds. 1952-. Flora of tropical East Africa. Note: lists as Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Schult.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Materialsfiber Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.
Materialsfiberused for stuffing pillows, mattresses, etc.Burkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa. Note: lists as Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Schult.
Medicinesfolklore Burkill, H. M. 1985-2004. The useful plants of west tropical Africa. Note: lists as Aerva javanica (Burm. f.) Schult.
Medicinesfolklore McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Medicinesfolklore Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan. 1966-. Flora palaestina.
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=101480. Accessed 17 April 2026.