Taxon: Petiveria alliacea L.

Summary

Genus:

Petiveria

Family:

Petiveriaceae

Nomen number:

431298

Place of publication:

Sp. pl. 1:342. 1753

Typification:

View in Linnean Typification Project

Verified:

02/27/2003 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

0 (0 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System.

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

No images

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Balick, M. J. et al. 2000. Checklist of the vascular plants of Belize, with common names and uses. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 85
Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
CONABIO. Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad en Mexico. Sistema Integrado de Información Taxonómica (SIIT) (on-line resource).
Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas
Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Gómez-Pompa, A. & V. Sosa, eds. 1978-. Flora de Veracruz.
Görts-van Rijn, A. R. A., ed. 1986-. Flora of the Guianas.
Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands.
Reitz, R., ed. 1965-. Flora ilustrada catarinense.
Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala.
Stevens, W. D. et al., eds. 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85(1-3).
Wunderlin, R. P. 1998. Guide to the vascular plants of Florida
Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.

Common names

Language	Name	note	seq	Citation
English	Congoroot		1	Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands.
English	garlicweed		1	Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas
English	Guinea-hen-plant		1	Balick, M. J. et al. 2000. Checklist of the vascular plants of Belize, with common names and uses. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 85
English	Guinea-hen-weed		1	Wunderlin, R. P. 1998. Guide to the vascular plants of Florida
English	gullyroot		1	Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands.
English	skunkroot		1	Balick, M. J. et al. 2000. Checklist of the vascular plants of Belize, with common names and uses. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 85
English	skunkweed		1	Balick, M. J. et al. 2000. Checklist of the vascular plants of Belize, with common names and uses. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 85
English	strongman's-weed		1	Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
Spanish	anamú		2	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Spanish	apacina		2	Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala.
Spanish	hierba de las gallinitas		2	Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas
Spanish	hierba del zorrillo		2	Gómez-Pompa, A. & V. Sosa, eds. 1978-. Flora de Veracruz.
Spanish	hoja de zorrillo		2	Gómez-Pompa, A. & V. Sosa, eds. 1978-. Flora de Veracruz.
Spanish	zorrillo	as "zorillo"	2	Balick, M. J. et al. 2000. Checklist of the vascular plants of Belize, with common names and uses. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 85

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Durango
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	San Luis Potosí
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Sinaloa
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Sonora
1	Native	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	Texas	s.	FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Florida		FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Campeche
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Chiapas
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Colima
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Guerrero
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Jalisco
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Michoacán de Ocampo
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Oaxaca
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Querétaro
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Quintana Roo
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave		Gómez-Pompa, A. & V. Sosa, eds. 1978-. Flora de Veracruz.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Yucatán
1	Native	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Antigua and Barbuda			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Bahamas
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Barbados			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Dominica			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Grenada			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Guadeloupe			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Jamaica			Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Martinique			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	St. Kitts and Nevis			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	St. Vincent and Grenadines			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	United States	Puerto Rico		Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Belize			Balick, M. J. et al. 2000. Checklist of the vascular plants of Belize, with common names and uses. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 85
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Costa Rica
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	El Salvador
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Guatemala
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Honduras
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Nicaragua			Stevens, W. D. et al., eds. 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85(1-3).
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Panama
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	French Guiana			Görts-van Rijn, A. R. A., ed. 1986-. Flora of the Guianas.
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Guyana			Görts-van Rijn, A. R. A., ed. 1986-. Flora of the Guianas.
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Suriname			Görts-van Rijn, A. R. A., ed. 1986-. Flora of the Guianas.
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Venezuela
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina			Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Paraguay
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Uruguay			Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Bolivia
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Colombia
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador			Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru			Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
4	Naturalized					natzd. elsewhere

Native
Northern America

SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Florida]
SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Texas (s.)]
NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Durango, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Sonora]
SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Campeche, Chiapas, Colima, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán de Ocampo, Oaxaca, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, Yucatán]

Southern America

CARIBBEAN: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Martinique, United States [Puerto Rico], St. Vincent and Grenadines
CENTRAL AMERICA: Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador
NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela
BRAZIL: Brazil
WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay

Naturalized (natzd. elsewhere)

Reference(s)

Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
Balick, M. J. et al. 2000. Checklist of the vascular plants of Belize, with common names and uses. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 85
Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
FNA Editorial Committee. 1993-. Flora of North America.
Gómez-Pompa, A. & V. Sosa, eds. 1978-. Flora de Veracruz.
Görts-van Rijn, A. R. A., ed. 1986-. Flora of the Guianas.
Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75
Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands.
Stevens, W. D. et al., eds. 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85(1-3).
Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Reference
Medicines	folklore	Balick, M. J. et al. 2000. Checklist of the vascular plants of Belize, with common names and uses. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 85
Medicines	folklore	Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala.
Medicines	folklore	Stevens, W. D. et al., eds. 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85(1-3).
Medicines	folklore	Gómez-Pompa, A. & V. Sosa, eds. 1978-. Flora de Veracruz.
Medicines	folklore	Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
Medicines	folklore	Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=431298. Accessed 26 October 2026.