| Iresine angustifolia | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Amaranthaceae |
| Genus: | Iresine |
| Species: | I. angustifolia |
| Binomial name | |
| Iresine angustifolia | |
Iresine angustifolia (common name in English: white snowplant, [1] in Spanish: arlomo) is a plant in the genus Iresine of the family Amaranthaceae. [2]
It is an herbaceous plant; it usually grows to 1.5 meters. in most cases it has many branches with leaves between 5 and 10 cm long, its shape varies form linear ovate to lance-shaped. [3]
Iresine angustifolia occurs in the southwestern part of the United States, Mexico, Central America, South America, West Indies [3] and some islands of the Caribbean. [4] It can be found at middle to lower altitudes usually on banks near the coast but also on thickets and on dry districts. [3]
It is not cultivated, however it is considered useful in traditional herbal medicine in treating the bites of the insect also known as arlomo.[ citation needed ]
In 1788, it was first identified by Bengt Anders Euphrasén on Saint Barthélemy. He published a detailed description of the plant in a book about the condition and flora of the Island. It was first published in Swedish in 1975 and then in German in 1978. [4]