Melochia pyramidata L.

  • Authority

    Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.

  • Family

    Malvaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Melochia pyramidata L.

  • Description

    Species Description - Erect or spreading subshrub or herb, 0.3-1.2(-2) m, with straggling branches; stems puberulous, generally on one side, with simple and forked hairs. Leaf blades 0.5-3.1 x 1.3-7.2 cm, ovate to lanceolate, chartaceous, more or less glabrous above, glabrous to very sparsely pubescent beneath, with simple or bifurcate hairs, the apex acute to acuminate, the base rounded to broadly cuneate, the margins coarsely serrate; petioles 0.5-2 cm long, densely pilose on adaxial surface; stipules 1.5-5 mm long, deltate to lanceolate. Rowers in leaf-opposed umbelliform cymes; peduncles 0.2-1.3 cm long, pilose; pedicels 1-5 mm long, puberulous. Calyx 3-5 mm long, the lobes lanceolate to triangular, apex caudate-acuminate, ciliate and puberulous on both surfaces, the hairs primarily simple and bifurcate; petals rose-purple to violet, rarely white, 7-9 mm long, obovate-spatulate, glabrous; staminal tube 2-2.2 mm long, the free portion 1.5-2 mm long, the anthers ca. 1 mm long; ovary narrowly ellipsoid, ca. 1 mm long, borne on a gynophore <0.5 mm long, stellate-puberulous; styles 5-5.5 mm long, basally connate for ca. 2 mm. Capsule 5-9 mm long, 6-10 mm diam., pyramidal, 5-angled, shortly beaked, valves winged, the wings with acute points toward base, often purplesplotched, loculicidal, borne on a short stipe, stellate-puberulous.

  • Discussion

    Note: Goldberg (1967) recognized two varieties, which he distinguished on the basis of leaf pubescence. The material from the Virgin Islands could be referred to M. pyramidata var. pyramidata

  • Distribution

    A weed along roads, in pastures, and in open places. Cmz Bay (A2323), Christ of the Caribbean (A2849). Also on St. Croix, St. Thomas (Britton & Wilson, 1924: "according to West and to Krebs"), and Tortola; Texas, Florida, the West Indies, Mexico, Central America, to Northern Argentina, naturalized elsewhere in tropical and subtropical areas.

    Saint Croix Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Saint Thomas Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Tortola Virgin Islands South America| Texas United States of America North America| Florida United States of America North America| West Indies| Mexico North America| Central America| Argentina South America|