Guinea Hen Weed
Petiveria alliacea
- Habit
- Undershrub
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra
- Flowering
- June-March
How to identify Guinea Hen Weed
Identify Guinea Hen Weed by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a undershrub habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Strong garlic smell when crushed (guinea hen weed).
- Confirm leaf arrangement: Alternate.
- Confirm leaf type: Pinnately compound.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: June-March.
- In India, compare location records such as Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra.
- Confirm it sits within the Phytolaccaceae family pattern, then compare close relatives before deciding it is Guinea Hen Weed.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Petiveria alliacea
- Genus
- Petiveria
- Family
- Phytolaccaceae
- Habit
- Undershrub
- Habitat
- Waste places
- Habitat type
- Wasteland
- Native to
- Central America
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra
- Flowering & fruiting
- June-March
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf arrangement
- AlternaterecordedOne leaf per node, arranged in a spiral or zigzag up the stem.“Leaves are simple, alternate, pinnate in the first order and netted the second order.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Leaf type
- Pinnately compoundrecordedLeaflets are arranged in rows along a central stalk, like a feather.“Leaves are simple, alternate, pinnate in the first order and netted the second order.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Characters marked “recorded” are for Guinea Hen Weed itself; the rest are typical of the Phytolaccaceae family.
About Guinea Hen Weed
A member of the Phytolaccaceae family, Guinea Hen Weed (Petiveria alliacea) is a low shrub. In India it has been recorded in Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra. It grows in waste places. Flowering and fruiting run from June to March.
Uses
It is used to deter insects.
Phytolaccaceae
Pokeweed Family
Guinea Hen Weed belongs to the Phytolaccaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Phytolaccaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
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