Melochia pilosa (Mill.) Fawc. & Rendle
Descripción
An erect herb or suffrutex, sometimes frutex, 0.4-3.0 (-4.0) meters high, simple or branched, the branches slender, to 15 cm, long, sometimes 2 or more shoots from near the base, the root thickened, to 2.5 times the diameter of the base of the stem, 0.8-1.2 cm. wide, woody; young stems sometimes hollow, hirsute, pilose or tomentose, sometimes woolly, hairs tan or golden, sometimes ferruginous, mostly simple, sometimes also glandular and a few forked or stellate, 0.1-2.2 mm. long, internodes 0.8-8.0 cm. long; stipules deciduous, (3-) 4-10 mm. long, 0.7-4.0 mm. wide, deltoid-acuminate, ovate-acute, or lanceolate, sometimes slightly oblique, sericeous, ciliate, hairs simple, 0.2- 1.5 mm. long; petiole 0.2-2,7 (-5.0) cm. long, pubescence similar to that of the young stems.
Lamina 2.2-9.5 (-11) cm. long, 0.9-7.5 cm. wide, ovate, oblong-ovate, ovate-lanceolate, lanceolate, or subelliptic, the base rounded to subcordate, the apex acute to somewhat rounded, leaves immediately below the inflorescence reduced, the upper surface usually green, sericeous, hirsute or puberulous, sometimes glabrescent, sometimes scabrous or woolly to the touch, hairs simple, sometimes a few forked or stellate, 0.2-1.0 mm. long, the lower surface green, or covered with brownish, golden or ferruginous hairs, sericeous or pilose on the veins, hairs simple, to 1.3 mm. long, sometimes densely tomentulose between the veins with hairs erect, stellate, forked, and simple, rarely also glandular, 0,2-0.7 mm. long, velvety or woolly to the touch, sometimes glabrescent, the margin irregularly crenate-serrate, serrations 0.6-1.8 mm. wide, 0.3-2.7 mm. high, primary veins numerous, (7-) 8-11 (-13) pairs, 2 or 3 are basal, more or less parallel, straightish and ascending at a rather acute angle (about 40°), impressed above, prominent beneath.
Inflorescences principally terminal, extending (2-) 10-20 (-31) cm. beyond the first leaf, at 3-11 nodes, paniculate, contracted or open, sometimes spicate, the flowers tending to be more numerous on the upperside of the brachlets, in subcapitate umbels of (1-) 3-12 flowers, the branchlets 1.5-3.5 cm. long, usually also axillary, 1-11.8 cm. long, in the axils of 1-5 or more reduced leaves, at 1-3 nodes, the peduncle 0-0.3 cm. long, the pedicel usually short, 1-3 (-5) mm. long; bracts usually separate, rarely 2 or 3 united at the base, 1.5-5.0 mm. long, 0.2-2.1 mm. wide, deltoid-acute to deltoid-acuminate, ovate, lanceolate or linear, ciliate, sericeous, hairs simple, 0.1-1.0 mm. long.
Calyx (4.0-) 4.6-7.5 mm. long, (2.5-) 2.9-5.3 mm. wide, not accrescent, external surface hirsute, sericeous, or tomentulose, hairs simple, sometimes also glandular, stellate or forked, 0.1-1.0 mm. long, the internal surface densely puberulous at the apex, the teeth 2.5-4.7 mm. long, 0.9-2.2 mm. wide, deltoid-acuminate or deltoid-acute, the sinus acute or narrowly rounded; petals usually yellow, sometimes orange, 5.9-10.5 mm. long, 2.0-4.5 mm. wide, obovate to oblanceolate, sometimes cuneate, the claw 1-2 mm. long, attached to the stamina! tube for 0.5-1.0 mm.
Longistylous form. Stamens 3.4-5.3 mm. long, the filaments united up to the anthers, the anther 0.9-1.5 mm. long, 0.5-0.7 mm. wide, oblong, emarginate at both ends, nearly to the middle from the apex; pistil 4.6-8.3 mm. long, the styles 2.6-5.0 mm. long, free to the ovary or united for 0.5 mm., stigmatic for 0.5-1.0 mm., the ovary oblong, ellipsoid, ovoid or globular, densely hirsute-sericeous at the apex, less so below, hairs 0.2-1.5 mm. long, stipe none.
Brevistylous form. Stamens (5.1-) 6.3-7.5 mm. long, the filaments free for 2.6-4.2 mm., glabrous, the anther 1.1-1.3 mm. long, 0.6-0.8 mm. wide, shape same as that above, sometimes very small staminodal teeth present; pistil (3.3-) 3.7-4.7 mm. long, the styles (1.1-) 1.7-2.2 mm. long, free to the ovary or united for 0.2-0.5 mm., stigmatic for 0.3-0.5 mm., the ovary globular-ovoid, densely hirsute-sericeous, hairs simple, 0.2-1.0 mm. long.
Fruit globular or suboblong, obtusely pentagonal, (3.7-) 4.2-6.0 mm. long, (3-) 4.2-5.0 mm. wide, usually slightly longer than wide, the rostrum 0.3 mm. long, hirsute-tomentulose, hairs simple, 0.3-1.1 mm. long, sometimes also forked and stellate, rarely glandular, 0.1- 0.2 mm. long, the sulci between the carpels very shallow, extending a fifth to a fourth the way to the center of the fruit, the base sometimes narrowed into a stipe 0.5 mm. long; dehiscence all along the ventral suture and a third to half way along the dorsal suture, eventually also septicidal, the fruit falling apart; seeds 1.6-2.7 mm. long, 1.1-1.6 mm. wide, dark brown, 1 or 2 per cell.A
Lamina 2.2-9.5 (-11) cm. long, 0.9-7.5 cm. wide, ovate, oblong-ovate, ovate-lanceolate, lanceolate, or subelliptic, the base rounded to subcordate, the apex acute to somewhat rounded, leaves immediately below the inflorescence reduced, the upper surface usually green, sericeous, hirsute or puberulous, sometimes glabrescent, sometimes scabrous or woolly to the touch, hairs simple, sometimes a few forked or stellate, 0.2-1.0 mm. long, the lower surface green, or covered with brownish, golden or ferruginous hairs, sericeous or pilose on the veins, hairs simple, to 1.3 mm. long, sometimes densely tomentulose between the veins with hairs erect, stellate, forked, and simple, rarely also glandular, 0,2-0.7 mm. long, velvety or woolly to the touch, sometimes glabrescent, the margin irregularly crenate-serrate, serrations 0.6-1.8 mm. wide, 0.3-2.7 mm. high, primary veins numerous, (7-) 8-11 (-13) pairs, 2 or 3 are basal, more or less parallel, straightish and ascending at a rather acute angle (about 40°), impressed above, prominent beneath.
Inflorescences principally terminal, extending (2-) 10-20 (-31) cm. beyond the first leaf, at 3-11 nodes, paniculate, contracted or open, sometimes spicate, the flowers tending to be more numerous on the upperside of the brachlets, in subcapitate umbels of (1-) 3-12 flowers, the branchlets 1.5-3.5 cm. long, usually also axillary, 1-11.8 cm. long, in the axils of 1-5 or more reduced leaves, at 1-3 nodes, the peduncle 0-0.3 cm. long, the pedicel usually short, 1-3 (-5) mm. long; bracts usually separate, rarely 2 or 3 united at the base, 1.5-5.0 mm. long, 0.2-2.1 mm. wide, deltoid-acute to deltoid-acuminate, ovate, lanceolate or linear, ciliate, sericeous, hairs simple, 0.1-1.0 mm. long.
Calyx (4.0-) 4.6-7.5 mm. long, (2.5-) 2.9-5.3 mm. wide, not accrescent, external surface hirsute, sericeous, or tomentulose, hairs simple, sometimes also glandular, stellate or forked, 0.1-1.0 mm. long, the internal surface densely puberulous at the apex, the teeth 2.5-4.7 mm. long, 0.9-2.2 mm. wide, deltoid-acuminate or deltoid-acute, the sinus acute or narrowly rounded; petals usually yellow, sometimes orange, 5.9-10.5 mm. long, 2.0-4.5 mm. wide, obovate to oblanceolate, sometimes cuneate, the claw 1-2 mm. long, attached to the stamina! tube for 0.5-1.0 mm.
Longistylous form. Stamens 3.4-5.3 mm. long, the filaments united up to the anthers, the anther 0.9-1.5 mm. long, 0.5-0.7 mm. wide, oblong, emarginate at both ends, nearly to the middle from the apex; pistil 4.6-8.3 mm. long, the styles 2.6-5.0 mm. long, free to the ovary or united for 0.5 mm., stigmatic for 0.5-1.0 mm., the ovary oblong, ellipsoid, ovoid or globular, densely hirsute-sericeous at the apex, less so below, hairs 0.2-1.5 mm. long, stipe none.
Brevistylous form. Stamens (5.1-) 6.3-7.5 mm. long, the filaments free for 2.6-4.2 mm., glabrous, the anther 1.1-1.3 mm. long, 0.6-0.8 mm. wide, shape same as that above, sometimes very small staminodal teeth present; pistil (3.3-) 3.7-4.7 mm. long, the styles (1.1-) 1.7-2.2 mm. long, free to the ovary or united for 0.2-0.5 mm., stigmatic for 0.3-0.5 mm., the ovary globular-ovoid, densely hirsute-sericeous, hairs simple, 0.2-1.0 mm. long.
Fruit globular or suboblong, obtusely pentagonal, (3.7-) 4.2-6.0 mm. long, (3-) 4.2-5.0 mm. wide, usually slightly longer than wide, the rostrum 0.3 mm. long, hirsute-tomentulose, hairs simple, 0.3-1.1 mm. long, sometimes also forked and stellate, rarely glandular, 0.1- 0.2 mm. long, the sulci between the carpels very shallow, extending a fifth to a fourth the way to the center of the fruit, the base sometimes narrowed into a stipe 0.5 mm. long; dehiscence all along the ventral suture and a third to half way along the dorsal suture, eventually also septicidal, the fruit falling apart; seeds 1.6-2.7 mm. long, 1.1-1.6 mm. wide, dark brown, 1 or 2 per cell.A
Elevación
(224 –)500 – 2000 mA
Ecología y Hábitat
In campo and thickets, usually in dry, open habitats, in savanna, on hillsides, in rocky, calcareous soil.A
Tipo de vegetación
Matorral de otro tipo, SabanaA
Categoría IUCN
No incluidaB