

Spiderlings
Botanical name: Boerhavia
Spiderlings
Botanical name: Boerhavia


Description

Spiderlings are a herbaceous annual and perennial plant. It can be found in south-western North America and Africa. Its common name Spiderlings refers to its long slender stems which form a spidery pattern. It prefers warm tropical regions and has a range of uses including foraging material.


Species of Spiderlings


Scarlet spiderling
Scarlet spiderling (Boerhavia coccinea) is an herbaceous perennial trailing plant that will grow to 91 cm long. Stems are fuzzy and foliage is sticky, forming large spreading mats along the ground. Blooms from spring to fall with small clusters of tiny, frilly pink flowers that grow on a round flower head. It attracts butterflies and caterpillars.

Erect spiderling
Erect spiderling (Boerhavia erecta) is one of those plants whose fruits have a nasty habit of clinging to fur or clothing. Don't be surprised if one tries to hitch a ride with you! The stems also release sticky secretions that have the effect of trapping insects, though it's unknown if this is a case of carnivory or deterrence.

Red spiderling
Red spiderling (Boerhavia diffusa) is a herbaceous perennial plant with delicate pink flowers. The plant's roots are eaten in native Australian cultures, and it is eaten as a leafy vegetable in many Asian and African countries. This plant has been listed as an invasive species in many countries including Cambodia, Chile, and Japan.

Boerhavia repens subsp. repens
Boerhavia repens subsp. repens are a herbaceous annual and perennial plant. It can be found in south-western North America and Africa. Its common name Spiderlings refers to its long slender stems which form a spidery pattern. It prefers warm tropical regions and has a range of uses including foraging material.

Largebract spiderling
The leaves are lance-shaped to oblong with rippled edges and roughly pointed ends. Most of the leaves grow near the base of the plant. The inflorescences appear at the ends of the slim stem branches. They bear a few pale pink flowers, each just a few millimeters long, with adjacent reddish or pinkish bracts.

Boerhavia torreyana
Boerhavia torreyana are a herbaceous annual and perennial plant. It can be found in south-western North America and Africa. Its common name Spiderlings refers to its long slender stems which form a spidery pattern. It prefers warm tropical regions and has a range of uses including foraging material.

Coulter's spiderling
Coulter's spiderling (Boerhavia coulteri) is a desert-friendly plant native to dry areas of the southwest US and northern Mexico. The plant is attractive to butterfly and moth species, including Archirhoe neomexicana, Disclisioprocta stellata, and Hyles lineata. This low-growing plant grows in large, spreading mats.

Purple spiderling
Purple spiderling are a herbaceous annual and perennial plant. It can be found in south-western North America and Africa. Its common name Spiderlings refers to its long slender stems which form a spidery pattern. It prefers warm tropical regions and has a range of uses including foraging material.

Yam
The yam plant can be found in the tropics of Africa, Asia, and Australia. It lives in relatively dry coastal regions and will readily bloom all year long. The genus was named for Dutch botanist Herman Boerhaave.




Scientific Classification

Phylum
Vascular plants Class
Dicotyledons Order
Pinks, cacti, and allies Family
Four o'clock Genus
Spiderlings