Melanthera biflora | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
(unranked): | Angiosperms |
(unranked): | Eudicots |
(unranked): | Asterids |
Order: | Asterales |
Family: | Asteraceae |
Subfamily: | Asteroideae |
Tribe: | Heliantheae |
Genus: | Melanthera |
Species: | M. biflora |
Binomial name | |
Melanthera biflora (L.) Wild. |
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Synonyms | |
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Melanthera biflora, also known as sea daisy, beach daisy and sea ox-eye, (Hindi: Bhringaraaja; Malay: Serunai laut, Pokok serunai; Fijian: Kovekove, Sekava; Maldivian: Mirihi; Samoan: Ateate; Thai: เบญจมาศน้ำเค็ม or ผักคราดทะเล;Tongan: Ate), is a species of flowering plant in the aster family. It is a scandent, rough-looking and fast-growing plant with a wide distribution.
Melanthera biflora is a moderately salt-tolerant plant found in the tropical belt of the Indo-Pacific region, including China, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Queensland, and islands of the Pacific such as Fiji, Niue, Tonga, Samoa and the Cook Islands.
It is found commonly in islands and in coastal areas, although it sometimes occurs inland in neglected and unmanaged plantations as well as in ruderal environments.
Together with Portulaca oleracea, Ipomoea pes-caprae and Digitaria ciliaris, Melanthera biflora is usually one of the first species colonizing degraded or altered environments in tropical zones of the planet.