Amaranthaceae

Aerva javanica

Common Names: Kapok bush.

Plant Form: Upright perennial herb or shrub. Size: Up to 1.6 m tall. Stem: Upright, rounded with slight ridges running lenthwise. Densely covered in whitish or occasionally yellowish hairs. Leaves: Variable, narrow to almost round. Greenish, covered in whitish hairs, with a thicker covering on the underside. Flowers: Whitish, in elongated clusters up to 10 cm long. With thick covering of white wooly hairs. Fruit and Seeds: Very small rounded capsule-like up to 1.5 mm long. Habitat: Arid areas, wasteland, drainage lines, sandy soils.