Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants - Online edition

Spermacoce prostrata Aubl.


Weed
Herb (herbaceous or woody, under 1 m tall)
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Leaves, flowers, fruit. Herbarium specimen. © ATH
Habit. Herbarium specimen. © ATH
Family

 Aublet, J.B.C.F. (1775), Histoire des Plantes de la Guiane Francoise 1: 58, t. 20. Type: J. Aublet - s.n.

Stem

Prostrate or decumbent annual herbs; stems with 4 longitudinal ribs.

Leaves

Leaves opposite or pseudoverticillate with 2-4 smaller leaves at each node; leaves sessile or subsessile, 10-35 mm long x 2-18 mm wide; elliptic to narrowly elliptic-lanceolate.

Flowers

Inflorescences mostly axillary, 3-8 mm wide; flowers 3-8 (to 20), sessile. Calyx lobes usually 2 shorter and 2 longer, 0.6-1 mm long. Corolla white, <3 mm long.

Fruit

Fruit ca. 2 mm long; seeds 0.7-1.2 mm long, reticulate, often with longitudinal ridges and transversely elongated pits; dark reddish brown.

Seedlings

Features not available.

Distribution and Ecology

An introduced species originally from Central America which now occurs in NEQ. Altitudinal range from near sea level to 20 m. Grows in disturbed areas and along roads and streams in rain forest and closed forest.

RFK Code
4312
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