Melochia nudiflora Standl. & L.O. Williams
Descripción
A slender, branched, erect or subscandent shrub 0.9-4.0 meters high, the young stems and petioles tomentose, hairs yellowish brown, stellate, mostly 0.1-0.2 mm. long, forked and simple, 0.5-1.2 mm. long, internodes 1.7-9.0 cm. long; stipules soon deciduous, probably broad judging from the scar; petiole 0.2-3.0 cm. Long,
Lamina 3-11 cm. long, 1.0-6.7 cm. wide, ovate to lanceolate, the base rounded to cordate, the apex acuminate to acute, the upper surface subsericeous, covered with appressed simple, and a few forked and stellate, nonoverlapping hairs 0.2-1.3 mm. long, the lower surface subcanescent, tomentulose-sericeous, hairs stellate, simple, and forked, 0.1-1.0 mm. long, both surfaces velvety to the touch, the margin irregularly crenate-serrate, serrations 0.8-3.2 mm. wide, 0.5-2.6 mm. high, 9-14 pairs of primary veins, 2 are basal.
Inflorescences axillary and terminal in subcapitate clusters of 2-15 flowers, the terminal inflorescence extending 1-14.5 cm. beyond the first leaf, with flowers at 1-6 nodes, the axillary inflorescences in the axils of 3-9 leaves, sessile, 1 cm. long, or on branches to about 8 cm. long, the pedicel 0-2 mm. long; bracts 2-6 mm. long, 0.6-3.9 mm. wide, the majority rather broad, suborbicular, ovate to lanceolate, the apex acute to rounded, several at the base of each flower, apparently 2 or 3 sometimes united nearly to the apex, hirsute and ciliate, hairs forked, simple, and stellate, 0.1-1.3 mm. long.
Calyx 4.5-6.4 mm. long, 3.5-5.0 mm. wide, not accrescent, tomentulose-sericeous on the external surface, hairs simple, forked, and stellate, 0.1-1.3 mm. long, tomentulose and canescent at the apex of the internal surface, the teeth 2.4-4.6 mm. long, 1.3-1,9 mm. wide, deltoid- to ovate-acuminate, the sinus acute to narrowly rounded; petals pink, 5.5-7.0 mm. long, 1.5-3.5 mm. wide, obovate-cuneate, attached to the staminal tube for 1-2 mm., the claw 0.7-2.0 mm. long.
Longistylous form. Stamens 3.5-4.0 mm. long, the filaments united up to the anthers, the anther 1.1-1.2 mm. long, 0.7-0.8 mm. wide, oblong, emarginate at both ends, nearly to the middle from the apex; pistil 5.1-5.7 mm. long, the styles 3.2-4,0 mm. long, free to the ovary, papillose at the apex for 0.7-1.0 mm., the ovary densely sericeous, hairs mostly simple, a few forked, 0.7-1.5 mm. long.
Brevistylous form. Stamens 5-5.5 mm. long, the filaments free for 1.7-3.0 mm., the anther 1.1-1.4 mm. long, 0.6-0.9 mm. wide, shape same as that above; pistil 3.0-3.5 mm. long, the styles 1.5-2.2 mm, long, free to the ovary, the ovary globular-ovoid, densely sericeous, hairs simple, 0.5-1.0 mm. long.
Fruit 3.2-4.4 mm. long, 4.5-5.1 mm. wide, obtusely pentagonal, oblate-spheroid, the sulci between the carpels extending a fourth to a third of way to the center of the fruit, hirsute- to sericeous-tomentose, hairs stellate (short), forked, and simple, 0.1-1.0 mm. long, stipe none; dehiscence septicidal into cocci open along the ventral suture; seeds 2.3-2.6 mm. long, 1.6-2,0 mm. wide, trigonal, brown, 1 per cell.A
Lamina 3-11 cm. long, 1.0-6.7 cm. wide, ovate to lanceolate, the base rounded to cordate, the apex acuminate to acute, the upper surface subsericeous, covered with appressed simple, and a few forked and stellate, nonoverlapping hairs 0.2-1.3 mm. long, the lower surface subcanescent, tomentulose-sericeous, hairs stellate, simple, and forked, 0.1-1.0 mm. long, both surfaces velvety to the touch, the margin irregularly crenate-serrate, serrations 0.8-3.2 mm. wide, 0.5-2.6 mm. high, 9-14 pairs of primary veins, 2 are basal.
Inflorescences axillary and terminal in subcapitate clusters of 2-15 flowers, the terminal inflorescence extending 1-14.5 cm. beyond the first leaf, with flowers at 1-6 nodes, the axillary inflorescences in the axils of 3-9 leaves, sessile, 1 cm. long, or on branches to about 8 cm. long, the pedicel 0-2 mm. long; bracts 2-6 mm. long, 0.6-3.9 mm. wide, the majority rather broad, suborbicular, ovate to lanceolate, the apex acute to rounded, several at the base of each flower, apparently 2 or 3 sometimes united nearly to the apex, hirsute and ciliate, hairs forked, simple, and stellate, 0.1-1.3 mm. long.
Calyx 4.5-6.4 mm. long, 3.5-5.0 mm. wide, not accrescent, tomentulose-sericeous on the external surface, hairs simple, forked, and stellate, 0.1-1.3 mm. long, tomentulose and canescent at the apex of the internal surface, the teeth 2.4-4.6 mm. long, 1.3-1,9 mm. wide, deltoid- to ovate-acuminate, the sinus acute to narrowly rounded; petals pink, 5.5-7.0 mm. long, 1.5-3.5 mm. wide, obovate-cuneate, attached to the staminal tube for 1-2 mm., the claw 0.7-2.0 mm. long.
Longistylous form. Stamens 3.5-4.0 mm. long, the filaments united up to the anthers, the anther 1.1-1.2 mm. long, 0.7-0.8 mm. wide, oblong, emarginate at both ends, nearly to the middle from the apex; pistil 5.1-5.7 mm. long, the styles 3.2-4,0 mm. long, free to the ovary, papillose at the apex for 0.7-1.0 mm., the ovary densely sericeous, hairs mostly simple, a few forked, 0.7-1.5 mm. long.
Brevistylous form. Stamens 5-5.5 mm. long, the filaments free for 1.7-3.0 mm., the anther 1.1-1.4 mm. long, 0.6-0.9 mm. wide, shape same as that above; pistil 3.0-3.5 mm. long, the styles 1.5-2.2 mm, long, free to the ovary, the ovary globular-ovoid, densely sericeous, hairs simple, 0.5-1.0 mm. long.
Fruit 3.2-4.4 mm. long, 4.5-5.1 mm. wide, obtusely pentagonal, oblate-spheroid, the sulci between the carpels extending a fourth to a third of way to the center of the fruit, hirsute- to sericeous-tomentose, hairs stellate (short), forked, and simple, 0.1-1.0 mm. long, stipe none; dehiscence septicidal into cocci open along the ventral suture; seeds 2.3-2.6 mm. long, 1.6-2,0 mm. wide, trigonal, brown, 1 per cell.A
Distribución
México (país) Nativo y no endémicoA
Elevación
750 – 1700 mA
Ecología y Hábitat
In thickets on rocky soil, on limestone hills, in dry forest, or in fields.A
Tipo de vegetación
Selva bajaA
Categoría IUCN
No incluidaB
Categoría NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010
No incluidaC