Aerva

Aerva is a genus of plants in the family Amaranthaceae. Its species are native to the palaeotropics, throughout continental Africa, Madagascar and smaller islands (Mauritius and Socotra), through parts of the Middle East, India, and southeast Asia.^[2][3] Aerva javanica is an alien in northern Australia.^[4]

Aerva
Aerva javanica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Amaranthaceae
Subfamily:	Amaranthoideae
Genus:	Aerva Forssk.[1]
Synonyms
Aerua (orth. var.)

At least four species in the genus have acquired the C₄ carbon fixation pathway.^[5][6]

Species

Six species are accepted.^[2]

• Aerva javanica (Burm.f.) Juss. ex Schult. – northern and eastern Africa, Madagascar, Arabian Peninsula and west Asia, Indian subcontinent, and Myanmar
• Aerva madagassica Suess. – Madagascar
• Aerva radicans Mart. – India
• Aerva sericea Moq. – Hawaiian Islands (extinct)
• Aerva villosa Moq. – Mauritius
• Aerva wightii Hook.f. – India

Formerly placed here

• Ouret lanata (L.) Kuntze (as Aerva lanata (L.) Juss. ex Schult.)
• Paraerva microphylla (as Aerva microphylla Moq.)
• Paraerva revoluta (as Aerva revoluta Balf.f.)
• Wadithamnus artemisioides (Vierh. & O.Schwartz) T.Hammer & R.W.Davis (as Aerva artemisioides Vierh. & O.Schwartz)^[7][8]