Moluchia tomentosa (L.) Britton
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Authority
Britton, Nathaniel L. Flora Borinqueña.
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Family
Malvaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - An abundant shrub, or rarely a small tree, on hillsides and in thickets at low elevations in the dry, southern and eastern parts of Porto Rico, mostly near the coasts, not observed by us at elevations higher than about 150 meters, growing also on the small islands Desecheo, Mona, Cayo Muertos and Vieques. It is distributed nearly throughout tropical America, ranging north to Florida and Texas, and is characterized by being densely velvety-hairy all over, the hairs stellate, as seen through a magnifying glass. The violet to purple flowers are attractive. For an account of the genus Moluchia we refer to our description of Moluchia pyramidata. Moluchia tomentosa (densely short-hairy) is nearly always a shrub from 1 to 2 meters high, rarely forming a small tree about 4 meters high, as observed by us on Water Island, St. Thomas. Its leaves, twigs, flower-clusters, calyx and capsules are densely stellate- hairy. The ovate to oblong-lanceolate, toothed, stalked leaves are from 1 to 6 centimeters long, blunt, or pointed, the base rounded or somewhat heart-shaped. The flowers are few or several together, on terminal, or axillary stalks, the calyx-lobes lance-shaped; the obovate, violet, pink, or purple petals are 10 or 12 millimeters long. The capsule is from 6 to 8 millimeters long, with a long, slender beak, its knobbed angles rounded.
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Discussion
Bretonica afelfada Broom-wood Chocolate Family Melochia tomentosa Linnaeus, Systema Naturae, edition 10. 1140. 1759. Moluchia tomentosa Britton, Memoirs of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden 1: 69. 1918.