Sphenoclea zeylanica
{{Short description|Species of plant in the genus Sphenoclea}}
{{Speciesbox
|image=Sphenoclea zeylanica 05946.jpg
|image_caption=In bloom
|image2=Sphenoclea zeylanica Blanco1.143.png
|image2_caption=Botanical illustration
|genus=Sphenoclea
|species=zeylanica
|authority=Gaertn.Fruct. Sem. Pl. 1: 113 (1788)
|synonyms={{collapsible list|
- Reichelia palustris Blanco
- Schrebera pongati DC.
- Pongatium indicum Lam.
- Pongatium spongiosum Blanco
- Pongatium zeylanicum Kuntze
- Rapinia herbacea Lour.
- Sphenoclea pongatium A.DC.
}}}}
Sphenoclea zeylanica, called chickenspike, gooseweed, and wedgewort, is a widespread species of flowering plant in the genus Sphenoclea, native to Africa, Madagascar, tropical and subtropical Asia, and Australia.{{cite web |url=https://avrdc.org/chickenspike-sphenoclea-zeylanica |title=Chickenspike (Sphenoclea zeylanica) |author= |date=27 November 2020 |website=World Vegetable Center |publisher=AVRDC |access-date=29 December 2020 |quote=eaten…with grated coconut}} It is widely introduced in the New World tropics and subtopics from the southern United States to northern Argentina.{{cite web |url=http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:145463-1 |title=Sphenoclea zeylanica Gaertn. |author= |date=2017 |website=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |access-date=29 December 2020 }} Its young leaves are edible and are occasionally eaten, perhaps with a light boiling. A common weed of rice paddies, it can cause yield losses from 25 to 50%.{{cite web |url=http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/training/fact-sheets/item/sphenoclea-zeylanica |title=Sphenoclea zeylanica |last1=Catindig |first1=JLA |last2=Lubigan |first2=RT |last3=Johnson |first3=D |date=15 August 2017 |website=irri.org |publisher=International Rice Research Institute |access-date=29 December 2020 |quote=The dirty dozen }}