Alternanthera sessilis has stems that lie flat and are 1-10 dm long. The leaves are sometimes spear-shaped but mostly elliptic and are 0.3-3cm wide. The petioles are 1-5mm long. The bract are shiny white under the flower's sessile spikes. The sepals are 2.5-3mm long and the uticles are 2-2.3mm long (PIER, 2006; Marquesas, undated). A. sessilis has a somewhat glistening fruit, that is light-beige yellow (FNWD, 2004). It can reach heights of up to 1 m.

During August-October, Alternanthera sessilis produces many utricles that spread with wind and water. Not far from where these were blown, seedlings begin to appear in April (Geng, 2006).

Alternanthera sessilis is used as a topical treatment for the common skin problem cane vulgaris. The antioxidant carotene is found in large amounts in the plant (Jerajoni et al. 2004). In southeast Asia young shoots and leaves are ingested as vegetables. In folklore, A. sessilis was used for treating sick individuals (USDA, 2004). Gayathri et al (2006) state that A. sessilis is \"used for the treatment of biliousness, dyspepsia associated with sluggish liver, chronic congestion of liver, acute and chronic pyelitis, cystitis, gonorrhea, and strangery and snake bite in Sri Lanka.\" In India and Sri Lanka, it is used for treatment of gastrointestinal problems. A. sessilis is used as a treatment for headaches and vertigo in Nigeria. It is also used to treat hepatitis, bronchitis, and asthma in Taiwan (Jansen, 2004).

A. sessilis is a plant that is puchased for a water garden and over the internet for aquariums (Tomaino, 2006). Also, it is bought for its low cost and taste by the people of Sri Lanka (Gayathri, 2006). A. sessilis is chopped up when it is fed to ducks and is also fed to pigs (Ogle, 2003). It is used in many different foods in Africa, such as soups, relish, and sauces.

Alternanthera sessilis is \"a plant of damp places, ditches, wet headlands, roadsides, sometimes a weed of plantations\", and is located from sea level to elevations over 2000 m. It is also found in waste areas, gardens (PIER, 2006) and open fields (NSCRC, 2003).

Alternanthera sessilis transfers seeds by wind, water, and also rooting at the stem nodes (FNWD, 2004).

Alternanthera sessilis can be dispersed through horicultural activities (Maki and Galatowitsch, 2004)

Alternanthera sessilis is a pest of sugarcane (Macdonald et al. 2003). It is also a weed of rice in tropical areas, and is also associated with bananas and other cereal crops (FNWD, 2004). According to Tomaino (2006), A. sessilis is an \"agricultural weed that invades disturbed wet areas in tropical and subtropical areas of the U.S.\" Overall, A. sessilis has a \"low significant ecological impact\" (Tomaino, 2006).A. sessilis is said to have impacts on liver problems by having hepatoprotective effects (Lin et al. 1994).

Biological: Zettler and Freeman (1972) in their discussion on the biocontrol of aquatic plants, state that in India, Alternanthera sessilis a near relative of alligatorweed, is affected by the fungial species Corticium solani, Colletotrichum capsici, Glomerella cingulata, Phoma spp., and Albugo bliti.