Sphenoclea zeylanica, called chickenspike, gooseweed, and wedgewort, is a widespread species of flowering plant in the genus Sphenoclea, native to Africa, Madagascar, tropical and subtropical Asia, and Australia.[3] It is widely introduced in the New World tropics and subtopics from the southern United States to northern Argentina.[2] Its young leaves are edible and are occasionally eaten, perhaps with a light boiling.[3] A common weed of rice paddies, it can cause yield losses from 25 to 50%.[4]
| Sphenoclea zeylanica | |
|---|---|
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| In bloom | |
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| Botanical illustration | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Solanales |
| Family: | Sphenocleaceae |
| Genus: | Sphenoclea |
| Species: | S. zeylanica |
| Binomial name | |
| Sphenoclea zeylanica | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
List
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