Pavonia stellata (Spreng.) Spreng.

  • Authority

    Fryxell, Paul A. 1999. Cavanilles (Malvaceae). Fl. Neotrop. Monogr. 76: 1-284. (Published by NYBG Press)

  • Family

    Malvaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Pavonia stellata (Spreng.) Spreng.

  • Type

    Type. Brazil. Sellow s.n. (isotype, US)

  • Synonyms

    Pavonia monatherica Casar., Pavonia begoniaefolia Gardner ex Hook., Pavonia paraibica Wawra, Urena stellata Spreng.

  • Description

    Species Description - Shrubs 0.5 m tall, the stems with widely scattered 3-6-armed stellate hairs ca. 0.5 mm diam., and with longitudinal lines of dense smaller (somewhat recurved) hairs. Leaf blades elliptic or oblong-elliptic, mostly 7-14 x 2-5 cm, basally asymmetrical (distichous), serrate, acuminate, penninerved, slightly discolorous, with minute stellate hairs (mostly 4-5-armed) evenly scattered over upper surface, the lower surface with fewer hairs; petioles 4-12 mm long, densely stellate-pubescent, especially on adaxial side; stipules subulate, 5-7 mm long, erect. Flowers sometimes solitary in the leaf axils, more commonly in terminal corymbose inflorescences, the pedicels 2-5 mm long, stellate-pubescent; involucellar bracts 7-10, linear, 5-6 x 0.5-1 mm, ciliate; calyx ca. 2 mm long, glabrous; petals pink, 10-12 mm long; androecium ca. Vi length of petals, the anthers few, subsessile. Fruits 4-5 mm diam., glabrous; mericarps ca. 5 mm long, dorsally rounded, smooth, with single apical spine 8-10 mm long (retrorsely barbed) that is basally buttressed dorsoventrally, the 2 lateral spines suppressed.

  • Discussion

    Illustrations. Gürke (1892b: pl. 89, fig. 2, as P. monatherica); Wawra (1883, vol. 1: pl. 6).

    Although Garcke (1853) concluded that Urena stellata Sprengel was a synonym of Pavonia typhalea, a disposition followed by Gürke (1892b), the description (and type) clearly indicate it to be distinct. The possible relationship of P stellata with P fruticosa and with P nemoralis is discussed under the latter species.

    Pavonia stellata stands out from all other species of P. subgen. Typhalea in having only a solitary spine at the apex of the mericarp.

  • Distribution

    From central Brazil, where it is apparently not common. The type locality for Pavonia monatherica and for P. begoniifolia is approximately 22°20-30'S, 42°15'-43°10'W; that for P. paraibica is at 21°45'S, 43°20'W.

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