Melochia tomentosa L.
Descripción
Usually a shrub or subshrub, rarely an herb, 0.3—4.0 meters high, slender, erect or spreading, usually branched, sometimes several branches from the base, perennial, sometimes flowering the first year, the root sometimes thicker than the base of the stem, the bark of the stem blackish or purplish, the young stems and petioles tomentulose usually canescent, hairs stellate, 0.1-0.2 mm. long, internodes 0.8-5.5 cm. long; stipules sometimes deciduous, 2-9 mm. long, 0.4-1.5 mm. wide, deltoid-acuminate or deltoid-acute to nearly linear, densely tomentulose, sometimes also ciliate, hairs stellate, sometimes also simple and forked, 0.1-0.3 (-0.7) mm. long; petiole 0.3-2.0 (-3.0) cm. long.
Lamina (1.2-) 2-6 (-10) cm. long, 0.7-4.0 (-5.0) cm. wide, ovate to lanceolate, rarely suborbicular, the base rounded, subcordate, rarely also subtruncate or subcuneate, the apex acute to rounded, both surfaces usually tomentulose, sometimes hirtellous, usually canescent, sometimes only the Lower, or neither surface canescent, hairs stellate, 0.1-0.5 mm. long, the margin irregularly crenate or crenate-serrate, crenations or serrations 0.7-5.0 mm. wide, 0.3-2.0 mm. high, (5~) 6-9 (-11) pairs of primary veins, usually 2 are basal, the veins impressed above, prominent beneath.
Inflorescences usually axillary, 1.5-5.0 cm. long, sometimes also leaf-opposed, 2-3 cm. long, or terminal, extending 3-3.2 cm. beyond the first leaf, umbellate, 2-10 (-20) flowers per umbel, at (1-) 3-9 upper nodes, sometimes at 2-3 naked nodes, the peduncle 0.3-2.5 (-5.0) cm. long, 0.5-0,6 mm. wide, rarely with a branch 0.5 cm. long, rarely two in an axil, the pedicel 2-5.7 mm. long; bracts 1-6.1 mm. long, 0.1-0.7 mm, wide, shape and pubescence like those of the stipules.
Calyx green, rarely dull red distally, 4.9-8.6 mm. long, 3.2-7,0 mm. wide, densely tomentulose, canescent, hairs stellate, sometimes also glandular, 0.1-0.3 mm. long, the teeth 2.8-5.8 mm. long, 0.7- 2.2 mm. wide, deltoid or ovate, acute or acuminate, the sinus acute to rounded; petals purple, pink, violet, blue, sometimes paler proximally, rarely red or white, 8-13.5 (-17) mm. long, 2.0-3.8 (-6.4) mm. wide, oblanceolate- to obovate-cuneate and spatulate, attached to the stamens for 2.8-5.4 mm., the claw 1.7-3.0 mm. long, sometimes united for 2 mm.
Longistylous form. Stamens 4-6.5 (-9.0) mm. long, the filaments free for 1.8-2.7 mm., the anther 1.1-1,2 mm. long, 0.6-0.8 mm. wide, oblong, emarginate at both ends; pistil 7-10.9 (-12) mm. long, the styles free for 3.2-6.0 mm., united for 3 mm., papillose and slightly clavate for 0.7-1.5 mm. at the apex, the ovary and usually the base of the styles tomentulose, hairs stellate, 0.1-0,4 mm. long, the ovary ellipsoid to ovoid, the stipe 0-1 mm. long.
Brevistylous form. Stamens 7-12.2 mm. long, the filaments free for 2.5-6,3 mm., the anther 0.9-1.5 mm, long, 0.5-0.9 mm. wide; pistil 4.5-5.5 (-8.0) mm. long, the styles free for 1.5-2.6 mm., united for 1.5-3.0 mm., papillose for 0.4-1.0 mm. at the apex, the ovary and base of styles densely tomentulose, hairs stellate, 0.1-0.6 mm. long, the ovary ellipsoid, the stipe 0-2 mm. long.
Fruit 6.5-10.5 mm. long, 6.6-10.5 mm. wide, long-rostrate, the rostrum 1.3-5.0 mm, long, pyramidal, sometimes suboblong, pentapterous, the lateral points of wings at or below the middle of the fruit, rather short, acute or rounded, the sulci extending a third to half way to the center of the fruit, the base of the fruit narrowed into a stipe 1-1.5 mm. long, tomentulose, hairs stellate, forked, 0.1-0.6 mm. long; dehiscence loculicidal all along the dorsal and ventral sutures, eventually also septicidal; seeds 2-3 mm. long, 1.1-2.0 mm. wide, obovate, red-, purple-, chocolate-, or light-brown, sometimes longitudinally striate, sometimes canescent at the ends and along the raphe, 1 or 2 per cell.A
Lamina (1.2-) 2-6 (-10) cm. long, 0.7-4.0 (-5.0) cm. wide, ovate to lanceolate, rarely suborbicular, the base rounded, subcordate, rarely also subtruncate or subcuneate, the apex acute to rounded, both surfaces usually tomentulose, sometimes hirtellous, usually canescent, sometimes only the Lower, or neither surface canescent, hairs stellate, 0.1-0.5 mm. long, the margin irregularly crenate or crenate-serrate, crenations or serrations 0.7-5.0 mm. wide, 0.3-2.0 mm. high, (5~) 6-9 (-11) pairs of primary veins, usually 2 are basal, the veins impressed above, prominent beneath.
Inflorescences usually axillary, 1.5-5.0 cm. long, sometimes also leaf-opposed, 2-3 cm. long, or terminal, extending 3-3.2 cm. beyond the first leaf, umbellate, 2-10 (-20) flowers per umbel, at (1-) 3-9 upper nodes, sometimes at 2-3 naked nodes, the peduncle 0.3-2.5 (-5.0) cm. long, 0.5-0,6 mm. wide, rarely with a branch 0.5 cm. long, rarely two in an axil, the pedicel 2-5.7 mm. long; bracts 1-6.1 mm. long, 0.1-0.7 mm, wide, shape and pubescence like those of the stipules.
Calyx green, rarely dull red distally, 4.9-8.6 mm. long, 3.2-7,0 mm. wide, densely tomentulose, canescent, hairs stellate, sometimes also glandular, 0.1-0.3 mm. long, the teeth 2.8-5.8 mm. long, 0.7- 2.2 mm. wide, deltoid or ovate, acute or acuminate, the sinus acute to rounded; petals purple, pink, violet, blue, sometimes paler proximally, rarely red or white, 8-13.5 (-17) mm. long, 2.0-3.8 (-6.4) mm. wide, oblanceolate- to obovate-cuneate and spatulate, attached to the stamens for 2.8-5.4 mm., the claw 1.7-3.0 mm. long, sometimes united for 2 mm.
Longistylous form. Stamens 4-6.5 (-9.0) mm. long, the filaments free for 1.8-2.7 mm., the anther 1.1-1,2 mm. long, 0.6-0.8 mm. wide, oblong, emarginate at both ends; pistil 7-10.9 (-12) mm. long, the styles free for 3.2-6.0 mm., united for 3 mm., papillose and slightly clavate for 0.7-1.5 mm. at the apex, the ovary and usually the base of the styles tomentulose, hairs stellate, 0.1-0,4 mm. long, the ovary ellipsoid to ovoid, the stipe 0-1 mm. long.
Brevistylous form. Stamens 7-12.2 mm. long, the filaments free for 2.5-6,3 mm., the anther 0.9-1.5 mm, long, 0.5-0.9 mm. wide; pistil 4.5-5.5 (-8.0) mm. long, the styles free for 1.5-2.6 mm., united for 1.5-3.0 mm., papillose for 0.4-1.0 mm. at the apex, the ovary and base of styles densely tomentulose, hairs stellate, 0.1-0.6 mm. long, the ovary ellipsoid, the stipe 0-2 mm. long.
Fruit 6.5-10.5 mm. long, 6.6-10.5 mm. wide, long-rostrate, the rostrum 1.3-5.0 mm, long, pyramidal, sometimes suboblong, pentapterous, the lateral points of wings at or below the middle of the fruit, rather short, acute or rounded, the sulci extending a third to half way to the center of the fruit, the base of the fruit narrowed into a stipe 1-1.5 mm. long, tomentulose, hairs stellate, forked, 0.1-0.6 mm. long; dehiscence loculicidal all along the dorsal and ventral sutures, eventually also septicidal; seeds 2-3 mm. long, 1.1-2.0 mm. wide, obovate, red-, purple-, chocolate-, or light-brown, sometimes longitudinally striate, sometimes canescent at the ends and along the raphe, 1 or 2 per cell.A
Distribución
México (país) Nativo y no endémicoA
Elevación
0 – 1550 mA
Tipo de vegetación
halófila costera Selva baja, Selva mediana, Matorral espinosoA
Categoría IUCN
No incluidaB
Categoría NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010
No incluidaC