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Floristic Inventory of the Florida Keys Database Online

Alternanthera flavescens Kunth
Yellow joyweed

Alternanthera flavescens
Copyright by: Roger L. Hammer

Family: Amaranthaceae

Group: Dicot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Herb

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: Scattered in peninsular Florida, the West Indies (where possibly introduced in part), southern Mexico, Central America and South America.

IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status: Secure

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Cultivated

Comments: Although treated in the Flora of North America as non-native, we can find no data to support this. This was one of the earliest species recorded in South Florida and it is scattered but widespread throughout the subtropical and tropical Americas. Described as Telanthera floridana Chapm. in 1860.

Also, visit our Natives For Your Neighborhood website for more information and click on the Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants link below for more images.

Synonyms: A. floridana, Telanthera floridana.

FLORIDA KEYS Occurrence: Present

FLORIDA KEYS Native Status: Native

IRC FLORIDA KEYS Status: Apparently Secure

Map of select IRC data for the Florida Keys

Florida Keys History and Distribution: Reported in 1884 by J. Cosmo Melvill for the island of Key West. Reported in 1907 by C.F. Millspaugh for the lower sandy Keys. Reported in 1913 by John Kunkel Small for hammocks, thickets and sandy sea shores throughout the Florida Keys.  We consider this native and extant throughout the Florida Keys.

Other data on Alternanthera flavescens available from :

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants

Alternanthera flavescens has been reported from the following 20 conservation areas in the FLORIDA KEYS :
Occurrence Native Status
Attwood Addition, Indian Key Historic State Park Present Native
Biscayne National Park, Florida Keys Section Present Native
Blue Heron Hammock, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge Present Native
Curry Hammock State Park Present Native
Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammocks Botanical State Park Present Native
Dove Creek Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge Present Native
Indian Key Historic State Park Assumed to be Present Native
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Present Native
Key West National Wildlife Refuge Present Native
Lake San Pedro Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park Present Native
Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park, Klopp Tract Present Native
Little Hamaca Park Present Native
Long Key State Park Present Native
National Key Deer Refuge Present Native
Snake Creek Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Sugarloaf Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park Present Native




Alternanthera flavescens has been reported for the following 6 habitats in THE FLORIDA KEYS :
Beach Dune
Coastal Berm
Coastal Interdunal Swale
Disturbed Upland
Keys Cactus Barren
Rockland Hammock


All Images:

Alternanthera flavescens
Copyright by: Roger L. Hammer
Alternanthera flavescens
Copyright by: James Johnson, 2014
In habitat, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park,
Monroe County, Florida
Alternanthera flavescens
Copyright by: James Johnson, 2014
In habitat, Blazingstar Preserve, Palm Beach County, Florida
Alternanthera flavescens
Copyright by: Jay Horn via iNaturalist