Melhania polygama I.Verd.

Species

Angiosperms > Malvales > Malvaceae > Melhania

Characteristics

Shrublet about 35 cm tall, with a woody rootstock. Stems many, rather robust, in dried specimens 3-5 mm diam., laxly branched, new growth with a sulphur-grey stellate tomentum, the hairs of different lengths and grouped on scales. Stipules subulate, 5-10 mm long. Leaves finely and densely sulphur-grey stellate-tomentose on both surfaces, upper surface somewhat darker than the lower; lamina broadly ovate-trullate or ovate-elliptic, 3-9.5 cm long, 1.5-5.5 cm broad, broadly cuneate or subrounded at the base, narrowing slightly to the obtuse or subtruncate apex, shallowly crenate-dentate except at the base; petiole 1-2 cm long, densely sulphur-grey tomentose, fairly stout. Inflorescence in axils of upper leaves; peduncle up to 6 cm long, stellate-tomentose, 1-3-flowered at apex; pedicels 0.3-1.5 cm long. Flowers polygamous. Epicalyx-bracts ovate, cordate at base, gradually attenuating to a subulate upper portion and acute apex, longer than calyx, about 14 mm long, 4-12 mm wide, stellate-tomentose on both surfaces. Calyx with lobes deltoid-acuminate, about 11 mm long, outer surface stellate-tomentose. Petals yellow, broadest at the apex, in essentially male flowers about 14 mm long, in female shorter, about 10 mm long. Stamens, in male flowers, with anthers about 4 mm long, in female abortive, about 2 mm long; ligulate staminodes about 6.5 mm long. Ovary densely beset with long, grouped hairs on scales; style in male flowers long and slender, about 7 mm long, branches aborted or short, style in female flowers thick and short, about 2.5 mm long, branches longer than the style, about 5 mm long, sometimes decurrent on the style; ovules 5 in a cell. Capsule broadly oblong, about 9 mm long, tomentose and with groups of rather long, sulphur-coloured hairs.
Life form perennial
Growth form shrub
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
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Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.35
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Environment

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Usage

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Edible -
Therapeutic use -
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Cultivation

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Distribution

Melhania polygama world distribution map, present in South Africa

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:824387-1
WFO ID wfo-0001140835
COL ID 3ZDYH
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Melhania polygama