Achyranthes japonica

A. japonica is a perennial plant growing to in height with thickened roots. Stems are quadrangular, branched, and glabrous or slightly pubescent. Stem nodes are dilated. The petiolate leaves are opposite, elliptic or oblong, and slightly pubescent, long and wide. Leaf veins show an arced pattern similar to that of dogwoods. Tiny green flowers bloom from August to September, with "bottle-brush" inflorescence spikes in axils and at terminals of the stem. Each flower has five fused stamens and a single pistil. Members of the genus Achyranthes in cultivation call for partial shade and rich, deep, well-drained soil, sandy and slightly acid. A. japonica grows in woody areas in lowlands and hills. ==Chemical compounds and traditional medicine==

The root of the plant is used in the traditional medicine of Korea. Several chemical constituents have been isolated. The seeds contain various hormones, including ecdysterone, rubrosterone, and inokosterone. The roots contain triterpenoids and saponins. The plant provides the antioxidant protocatechuic acid. ==Status in United States==

Achyranthes japonica is an introduced species in the United States. It was first reported in Kentucky in the 1980s, and by 2014 it was established in nine states of the Ohio River basin. As of 2025, the plant has been reported as far west as Missouri, as far south as Georgia, and as far east as Virginia. == References ==