Juba's bush (Iresine diffusa)

Bloodleaf Iresine or Juba's bush (Iresine diffusa) is a species of plant in the Amaranthaceae, a shrub with erect or creeping stems and branching, red, flowers in panicles at the end of the stem, growing in moist or slightly wet places.

I. diffusa grows upright up to 2 meters high, stems have grooves, not woody, red and continuous segments. Leaves oval or elongated, blunt base, pointed tip, up to 14 cm long and up to 7 cm wide.

A bone in the center, several pinnate veins and red, flat edge, upper surface red and black, lower surface red. Flowers are small, greenish-white, panicle 40 cm long, males are more open, females are compact and 1 mm long. Seeds 0.5 mm.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Amaranthaceae
Subfamily: Gomphrenoideae
Genus: Iresine
Species: Iresine diffusa
Form: Iresine diffusa f. herbstii

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