Melochia tomentella (C. Presl) Hemsl.
Descripción
A simple or branched, erect, perennial herb to shrub 0.6-2.0 meters high, the young stems and petioles densely tomentulose, hairs stellate, forked, simple, and sometimes also glandular, 0.1-0.3 mm. long, internodes 1.1-3,5 cm. long; stipules soon deciduous, 3.0-5.5 mm. long, 1.0-1.7 mm. wide, lanceolate, hirsute and ciliate, hairs simple, forked, and stellate, 0.1-0.5 mm. long; petiole 0.3-1.8 cm. long, very slender.
Lamina 3.0-9.0 cm. long, 1.2-3.9 cm. wide, lanceolate to ovate, the base rounded, the apex acute to long-acuminate, the upper surface covered with slightly overlapping simple and forked appressed hairs 0.1-0.8 mm. long, the lower surface covered, especially on the veins, with slightly overlapping stellate, forked, and simple hairs 0.1-0.6 mm. long, the margin irregularly crenate-serrate to crenate-dentate, serrations 1,5-6.8 mm. wide, 0.5-2.6 mm. high, 5-10 pairs of primary veins, 2 are basal.
Inflorescences in the axils of 4-12 upper leaves, the clusters sessile or subsessile, subcapitate, 0.7-2.3 cm. long, the peduncle 0-1 cm. long, the pedicel 0-2 mm. long, 2-5 flowers per umbel or head, sometimes also a terminal inflorescence extending 3.5 cm. beyond the first leaf; bracts numerous, 0.5-3.7 mm, long, 0.2-1.0 mm. wide, deltoid-acute to nearly linear, hirsute and ciliate, hairs mostly simple and forked, some stellate and fewer glandular, 0.1-0.7 mm. long.
Calyx 3.1-5.0 mm. long, 3.1-4.0 mm. wide, not accrescent, tomentulose, hairs stellate, forked, simple, and glandular, 0.2 (0.1-0.6) mm, long, the teeth 1.3-3.4 mm. long, 1.2-1.6 mm. wide, deltoid-acute to deltoid-acuminate, the sinus acute to slightly rounded; petals pink or white with pink veins, 5.5-7.8 mm. long, 2.1-3.0 mm. wide, obovate-cuneate, attached to the staminal tube for 1.7 mm., the claw 1.0-1.5 mm. long.
Longistylous form. Stamens 3.8 mm. long, the filaments united up to the anthers, the anther 1.3 mm. long, 0.7-0.8 mm. wide, oblong, emarginate at both ends, nearly to the middle from the apex; pistil 5.3-6.1 mm. long, the styles filiform, slightly clavate at the apex, papillose for 0.8 mm., 4.0-4.5 mm. long, free to the ovary, the ovary ovoid, densely sericeous, hairs 0.3-0.7 mm. long.
Brevistylous form. Stamens 4.8-5.0 mm. long, the filaments free for 2.0 mm., the anther 1.2-1.3 mm. long, 0.9 mm. wide, shape same as that above; pistil 3.6-3.8 mm. long, the styles filiform, papillose for 0.5 mm., 1.7-2.0 mm. long, free to the ovary, the ovary ovoid, densely sericeous-tomentose, hairs up to 0.8 mm, long.
Fruit 3.0-3.8 mm. long, 4.6 mm. wide, depressed-globose, obtusely pentagonal, the sulci between the carpels shallow, extending a third of way to the center of the fruit, densely tomentulose, hairs stellate, forked and simple, 0.1-0.7 mm. long, stipe none; dehiscence septicidal into cocci open along the ventral suture; seeds 2.2-2.6 mm. long, 1.3-1.5 mm. wide.A
Lamina 3.0-9.0 cm. long, 1.2-3.9 cm. wide, lanceolate to ovate, the base rounded, the apex acute to long-acuminate, the upper surface covered with slightly overlapping simple and forked appressed hairs 0.1-0.8 mm. long, the lower surface covered, especially on the veins, with slightly overlapping stellate, forked, and simple hairs 0.1-0.6 mm. long, the margin irregularly crenate-serrate to crenate-dentate, serrations 1,5-6.8 mm. wide, 0.5-2.6 mm. high, 5-10 pairs of primary veins, 2 are basal.
Inflorescences in the axils of 4-12 upper leaves, the clusters sessile or subsessile, subcapitate, 0.7-2.3 cm. long, the peduncle 0-1 cm. long, the pedicel 0-2 mm. long, 2-5 flowers per umbel or head, sometimes also a terminal inflorescence extending 3.5 cm. beyond the first leaf; bracts numerous, 0.5-3.7 mm, long, 0.2-1.0 mm. wide, deltoid-acute to nearly linear, hirsute and ciliate, hairs mostly simple and forked, some stellate and fewer glandular, 0.1-0.7 mm. long.
Calyx 3.1-5.0 mm. long, 3.1-4.0 mm. wide, not accrescent, tomentulose, hairs stellate, forked, simple, and glandular, 0.2 (0.1-0.6) mm, long, the teeth 1.3-3.4 mm. long, 1.2-1.6 mm. wide, deltoid-acute to deltoid-acuminate, the sinus acute to slightly rounded; petals pink or white with pink veins, 5.5-7.8 mm. long, 2.1-3.0 mm. wide, obovate-cuneate, attached to the staminal tube for 1.7 mm., the claw 1.0-1.5 mm. long.
Longistylous form. Stamens 3.8 mm. long, the filaments united up to the anthers, the anther 1.3 mm. long, 0.7-0.8 mm. wide, oblong, emarginate at both ends, nearly to the middle from the apex; pistil 5.3-6.1 mm. long, the styles filiform, slightly clavate at the apex, papillose for 0.8 mm., 4.0-4.5 mm. long, free to the ovary, the ovary ovoid, densely sericeous, hairs 0.3-0.7 mm. long.
Brevistylous form. Stamens 4.8-5.0 mm. long, the filaments free for 2.0 mm., the anther 1.2-1.3 mm. long, 0.9 mm. wide, shape same as that above; pistil 3.6-3.8 mm. long, the styles filiform, papillose for 0.5 mm., 1.7-2.0 mm. long, free to the ovary, the ovary ovoid, densely sericeous-tomentose, hairs up to 0.8 mm, long.
Fruit 3.0-3.8 mm. long, 4.6 mm. wide, depressed-globose, obtusely pentagonal, the sulci between the carpels shallow, extending a third of way to the center of the fruit, densely tomentulose, hairs stellate, forked and simple, 0.1-0.7 mm. long, stipe none; dehiscence septicidal into cocci open along the ventral suture; seeds 2.2-2.6 mm. long, 1.3-1.5 mm. wide.A
Distribución
México (país) EndémicoA
Elevación
10 – 600 mA
Ecología y Hábitat
In shady, short-tree forest bottoms, associated with mesquite, palms, and oaks.A
Tipo de vegetación
Bosque de encinoA
Categoría IUCN
No incluidaB
Categoría NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010
No incluidaC