Achyranthes is a genus of medicinal and ornamental plants in the amaranth family, Amaranthaceae. Chaff flower is a common name for plants in this genus. The Hawaiian species (A. divaricata, A. humile, and A. sandwicensis) are known in Hawaiian as kuluʻī.
A 2024 morphological and phylogenetic analysis by Vanessa Di Vincenzo et al. merged the genus Achyropsis and the Hawaiian genus Nototrichium into Achyranthes to make it monophyletic. The genus is characterized by solitary, fertile flowers.
Species
33 species are accepted.
Achyranthes abyssinica Nees
Achyranthes ancistrophora C.C.Towns.
Achyranthes annua Dinter
Achyranthes arborescens R.Br.
Achyranthes aspera L. (= A. argentea) (Sanskrit : apamarg (अपामार्ग))
Achyranthes atollensis (extinct)
Achyranthes avicularis E.Mey. ex Moq.
Achyranthes bidentata Blume (synonym Achyranthes japonica (Miq.) Nakai)
Achyranthes borbonica Willd. ex Schult.
Achyranthes coynei Santapau
Achyranthes diandra Roxb.
Achyranthes divaricata (Lorence) Di Vincenzo, Berends., Wondafr. & Borsch
Achyranthes fasciculata (Suess.) C.C.Towns.
Achyranthes fruticulosa (C.B.Clarke) Di Vincenzo, Berends., Wondafr. & Borsch
Achyranthes graminiformis Di Vincenzo, Berends., Wondafr. & Borsch
Achyranthes humilis (Hillebr.) Di Vincenzo, Berends., Wondafr. & Borsch
Achyranthes laniceps (C.B.Clarke) Di Vincenzo, Berends., Wondafr. & Borsch
Achyranthes leptostachya E.Mey. ex Meisn.
Achyranthes mangarevica Suess.
Achyranthes marchionica R.Br.
Achyranthes margaretarum de Lange
Achyranthes mauritiana Moq.
Achyranthes mutica A.Gray ex H.Mann
Achyranthes porphyrostachya Wall. ex Moq.
Achyranthes sandwicensis (A.Gray) Di Vincenzo, Berends., Wondafr. & Borsch
Achyranthes schinzii (Standl.) Cufod.
Achyranthes seychellensis Sukhor.
Achyranthes shahii M.R.Almeida & S.M.Almeida
Achyranthes sicula (L.) All.
Achyranthes splendens Mart. ex Moq.
Achyranthes talbotii Hutch. & Dalziel
Achyranthes velutina Hook. & Arn....
