Melochia pyramidata L.
Descripción
A slender erect or spreading annual or perennial herb to shrub, 0.08-2.0 meters high, usually branched, sometimes several branches from the base of the stem, the root sometimes thickened and 0.5-1.3 cm. wide, the young stems hirsute-tomentulose, hairs in a longitudinal line or surrounding the stem, simple, sometimes also stellate and forked, 0.2-0.5 mm. long, internodes (0.2—) 2-10 cm. long; stipules 1.5-5.3 mm. long, 0.2-1.0 mm. wide, deltoid-acuminate or lanceolate, rarely linear, hirsute-tomentulose and ciliate, hairs simple, forked, and stellate, 0.2-0.8 mm. long; petiole (0.1-) 0.4-2.0 (-4.7) cm. long, hirsute-tomentulose on the upper surface or all the way around.
Lamina (0.7-) 2-6 (-10.5) cm. long, (0.3—) 0.6-3.0 (-7.7) cm. wide, the upper leaves tending to be lanceolate, the lower ovate, rarely oblong, the base rounded, sometimes cordate or attenuate, the apex acute, acuminate or rounded, the basal leaves usually smaller, sometimes nearly orbicular, the upper surface green, subglabrous or hirsute, hairs simple, appressed, sometimes also forked and stellate, 0.1-1.0 mm. long, the lower surface green, with few hairs on the veins, sometimes slightly yellowish-canescent, or tomentulose, hairs stellate, sometimes also forked, simple, and glandular, 0.1-0.4 (-0.7) mm. long, the margin irregularly crenate-serrate, serrations 0.8-4.4 mm. wide, 0.2-2.0 mm. high, 5-11 pairs of primary veins, 1 or 2 (-3) are basal.
Inflorescences generally leaf-opposed, sometimes 90° from the leaf, rarely also axillary or terminal, 1.3-5.2 cm. long, at (1-) 3-8 upper nodes, umbellate, (1-) 3-8 (-15) flowers per umbel, the peduncle slender, (0-) 0.2-1.6 (-3.3) cm. long, 0.4 mm. wide, rarely branched, the pedicel 1-5 (-6) mm. long; bracts 0.5-3.0 mm. long, 0.2-0.7 mm. wide, deltoid-acuminate, lanceolate or linear, ciliate and hirsute-tomentulose, hairs simple, forked, and stellate, 0.1-0.5 mm. long.
Calyx 3.7-6.2 mm. long, 2.1-4.0 mm. wide, ciliate and hirsute-tomentulose, hairs stellate, and forked, 0.1-0.5 mm. long, the teeth 2-4.9 mm. long, 0.6-1.5 mm. wide, usually deltoid-acuminate, sometimes deltoid-acute, the sinus acute to narrowly rounded; petals usually purple, pink, violet, blue, sometimes yellow proximally, rarely red, white or yellow, (3-) 7-11.5 mm. long, (1.5-) 2.4-3.0 mm. wide, obovate-oblanceolate-spatulate, attached to the staminal tube for 1-3 mm., the claw 0.6-2.5 mm. long, sometimes glandular hairs 0.05 mm. long on the petals.
Longistylous form. Stamens (2.6-) 3.5-6,3 mm. long, the filaments free for 0,7-2.0 mm., the anther 0.7-1.2 mm. long, 0.4-0.6 mm. wide, oblong, emarginate at both ends; pistil 4.3-9,0 mm. long, the styles free for 2-4.8 mm., united for 0.5-2.1 mm., filiform, papillose for 0.6-1.0 mm. at the apex, the ovary ellipsoid, the styles and ovary birsute-tomentulose, hairs stellate, 0.1-0.4 mm. long, the stipe 0-0.2 mm. long.
Brevistylous form. Stamens 5.7-7.5 mm. long, the filaments free for 3-4 mm., the anther 1-1.2 mm. long, 0.5-0.6 mm. wide, shape same as that above; pistil 3.7-5.0 mm. long, the styles free for 1.4- 2.0 mm., the ovary ellipsoid to oblong-ellipsoid, subglabrous to hirsute-tomentulose, hairs 0.1-0.2 mm. long.
Fruit often with purple blotches, 5-9.5 mm. long, (5-) 6.5-14 mm. wide, the rostrum short, 0-2.1 mm, long, the base narrowed into a stipe 0.2-1.0 mm. long, occasionally 6 or 7 carpels present, pyramidal, pentapterous, the points of wings acute or acuminate, at the middle or toward the base of the fruit, the sulci between the carpels extending half way to the center of the fruit, the base stipitate for 0.2-1.0 mm., subglabrous, hirsute or tomentulose, hairs only stellate or also simple and forked, 0.1-0.5 mm. long; dehiscence loculicidal all along the dorsal and ventral sutures; seeds 1.7-2.6 mm. long, 1.1-1.7 mm. wide, trigonal, brown, 1 or 2 per cell.A
Lamina (0.7-) 2-6 (-10.5) cm. long, (0.3—) 0.6-3.0 (-7.7) cm. wide, the upper leaves tending to be lanceolate, the lower ovate, rarely oblong, the base rounded, sometimes cordate or attenuate, the apex acute, acuminate or rounded, the basal leaves usually smaller, sometimes nearly orbicular, the upper surface green, subglabrous or hirsute, hairs simple, appressed, sometimes also forked and stellate, 0.1-1.0 mm. long, the lower surface green, with few hairs on the veins, sometimes slightly yellowish-canescent, or tomentulose, hairs stellate, sometimes also forked, simple, and glandular, 0.1-0.4 (-0.7) mm. long, the margin irregularly crenate-serrate, serrations 0.8-4.4 mm. wide, 0.2-2.0 mm. high, 5-11 pairs of primary veins, 1 or 2 (-3) are basal.
Inflorescences generally leaf-opposed, sometimes 90° from the leaf, rarely also axillary or terminal, 1.3-5.2 cm. long, at (1-) 3-8 upper nodes, umbellate, (1-) 3-8 (-15) flowers per umbel, the peduncle slender, (0-) 0.2-1.6 (-3.3) cm. long, 0.4 mm. wide, rarely branched, the pedicel 1-5 (-6) mm. long; bracts 0.5-3.0 mm. long, 0.2-0.7 mm. wide, deltoid-acuminate, lanceolate or linear, ciliate and hirsute-tomentulose, hairs simple, forked, and stellate, 0.1-0.5 mm. long.
Calyx 3.7-6.2 mm. long, 2.1-4.0 mm. wide, ciliate and hirsute-tomentulose, hairs stellate, and forked, 0.1-0.5 mm. long, the teeth 2-4.9 mm. long, 0.6-1.5 mm. wide, usually deltoid-acuminate, sometimes deltoid-acute, the sinus acute to narrowly rounded; petals usually purple, pink, violet, blue, sometimes yellow proximally, rarely red, white or yellow, (3-) 7-11.5 mm. long, (1.5-) 2.4-3.0 mm. wide, obovate-oblanceolate-spatulate, attached to the staminal tube for 1-3 mm., the claw 0.6-2.5 mm. long, sometimes glandular hairs 0.05 mm. long on the petals.
Longistylous form. Stamens (2.6-) 3.5-6,3 mm. long, the filaments free for 0,7-2.0 mm., the anther 0.7-1.2 mm. long, 0.4-0.6 mm. wide, oblong, emarginate at both ends; pistil 4.3-9,0 mm. long, the styles free for 2-4.8 mm., united for 0.5-2.1 mm., filiform, papillose for 0.6-1.0 mm. at the apex, the ovary ellipsoid, the styles and ovary birsute-tomentulose, hairs stellate, 0.1-0.4 mm. long, the stipe 0-0.2 mm. long.
Brevistylous form. Stamens 5.7-7.5 mm. long, the filaments free for 3-4 mm., the anther 1-1.2 mm. long, 0.5-0.6 mm. wide, shape same as that above; pistil 3.7-5.0 mm. long, the styles free for 1.4- 2.0 mm., the ovary ellipsoid to oblong-ellipsoid, subglabrous to hirsute-tomentulose, hairs 0.1-0.2 mm. long.
Fruit often with purple blotches, 5-9.5 mm. long, (5-) 6.5-14 mm. wide, the rostrum short, 0-2.1 mm, long, the base narrowed into a stipe 0.2-1.0 mm. long, occasionally 6 or 7 carpels present, pyramidal, pentapterous, the points of wings acute or acuminate, at the middle or toward the base of the fruit, the sulci between the carpels extending half way to the center of the fruit, the base stipitate for 0.2-1.0 mm., subglabrous, hirsute or tomentulose, hairs only stellate or also simple and forked, 0.1-0.5 mm. long; dehiscence loculicidal all along the dorsal and ventral sutures; seeds 1.7-2.6 mm. long, 1.1-1.7 mm. wide, trigonal, brown, 1 or 2 per cell.A
Distribución
México (país) Nativo y no endémicoA
Elevación
0 – 1000(– 1560) mA
Ecología y Hábitat
Usually in open disturbed places, often along the roadside, margin of cultivated fields, and in waste places, in various types of wet or dry soil.A
Categoría IUCN
Preocupación menor (LC)C
Categoría NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010
No incluidaD