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Turnera ulmifolia

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Malpighiales Family: Passifloraceae Genus: Turnera

marilopez, sundrops, yellow alder

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Aromatic perennial herbs or shrubs 4–15 dm tall, densely strigose.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate, clustered toward the tips of the branches. Blades lanceolate to oblong–lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, 4–13 cm long, 2–3(–5) cm wide. Surfaces moderately to occasionally sparsely strigillose. Margins doubly serrate. Petioles 0.8–1.5 cm long. Stipules erect, triangular, ca. 1.5 mm long.

Flowers: Flowers solitary in the leaf axils. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Pedicels adnate to petioles, with 2 apical bracteoles. Calyx 5-lobed, ca. 20 mm long, the tube 5–8 mm long, the lobes lanceolate, apex caudate. Corolla of 5 petals, yellow, sometimes with a brown spot toward base, obovate, 20–35 mm long. Stamens 5, alternate with the petals; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior, ovoid, with 6 small apical tubercles.

Fruit: Capsules ovoid; 7–8 mm long. Seeds narrowly obovoid; slightly curved; ca. 2.5 mm long.

Ploidy: 2n = 30

Habitat: Dry disturbed areas.

Elevation Range: 30–190 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Other Animals

Pollinators

Notes

  • 30-190 m
  • Description digitized by Rafael Domingo
  • Description digitized from the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii
  • also known as yellow alder
  • hillerbrand 1888

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 271 (1753)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1295 (K, Mo); Oppenheimer 2004:18 (EM, WM, H); Staples & Herbst 2005:550 (DESCR); Frohlich & Lau 2007:11 (O)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Turnera ulmifolia garden of Geoffrey Michels, Wailaau Rd., Koloa Preserved_Specimen Shrub ~1 m., giving off unpleasant odor when bruised. Grown for its showy but very fragile yellow flowers. Stem pale green. Leaves: blade above medium green, slightly glossy; below much paler dull. Inflorescence: flowers subtended by a pair of leafy bracts; flower opening nearly flat, 2 cm x 6 cm wide; calyx tube 8 x 5 mm, pale yellow-green; sepals 5, pale yellow-green with darker green veining, 2 x 0.5 cm; petals 5, arranged pinwheel fashion, nearly obicular, upper surface satiny, butter yellow at base to clear yellow at margins, lower surface pale yellow; stamens 5, bulbous, 2 cm long, with base yellow-green, filaments pale yellow to butter yellow at apex, apex crowned with basifixed orange anthers 8 x 1 mm; pistil: styles 3, pale yellow, 2.4 cm long, the stigmas finely laciniate. Hume, L. 454 Kauai BISH 1990-01-27
2 Turnera ulmifolia Kalaupapa; airport, oceanview pavilion Preserved_Specimen aromatic perennial herb Wysong, M.L. 424 Molokai BISH 2004-11-11
3 Turnera ulmifolia Kalaupapa Penisula Preserved_Specimen aromatic shrub 2-4' tall. Flowers 1 across, yellow, 5 petals, 5 stamens, pistil with spreading branched stigna Hobdy, R.W. 1961 Molokai BISH 1984-02-14
4 Turnera ulmifolia Wailau Valley Preserved_Specimen shrubby plant; fls. orange Pearsall, G.A. Molokai BISH 1953-12-27
5 Turnera ulmifolia Kalaheo. Naturalized along Papalina Rd. and adjoining Kukuiolono Park Preserved_Specimen Flynn, T.W. 642 Kauai BISH 1983-11-07
6 Turnera ulmifolia Between Ilio Point and main road Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Molokai BISH 1982-05-17
7 Turnera ulmifolia East Maui, Makawao District, Hamakuapoko, Kuau Growing in sidewalk crack at base of rock wall. Preserved_Specimen Flowers yellow. Oppenheimer, H.L. 110110 Maui BISH 2001-11-12
8 Turnera ulmifolia Kalaupapa dry rocky pasture Preserved_Specimen Gantt, P.A. Molokai BISH 1941-07-01
9 Turnera ulmifolia Moomomi; wadi in the proposed sand mining tract (parcel 8), in understory of tall statured Prosopis Preserved_Specimen scattered plants to 3' height, very strongly scented, loses turgor rapidly when cut Imada, C. 2966 Molokai BISH 1986-10-30
10 Turnera ulmifolia Kalaupapa Trail by trail Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 25247 Molokai BISH 1957-12-25
11 Turnera ulmifolia W Maui, Lahaina District, Lahaina, Front St Growing out of cracks in rock wall not far from cultivated plants. Preserved_Specimen Yellow flowered plants. Oppenheimer, H.L. 50111 Maui BISH 2001-05-13
12 Turnera ulmifolia sand dunes 1 mile S. of Kaa, W arid pasture w/Lantana Preserved_Specimen small dense shrub to 3' ht. Leaves pungent, corolla yellow Nagata, K.M. 1761 Molokai BISH 1978-08-08
13 Turnera ulmifolia Hanapepe, Kapahili gulch N facing hill; mixed lowland shrubland; Erythrina sandwicensis, Lipochaeta connata, Santalum ellipticum, Heteropogon contortus, Panicum torridum, Sicyos herbstii, Doryopteris decora, Peperomia leptostachya Preserved_Specimen 2 m shrub; leaves dark green, corolla yellow Wood, K.R. 11103 Kauai BISH 2005-01-22
14 Turnera ulmifolia W Maui, Lahaina District, Hanakaoo On side of highway. Preserved_Specimen Weed. Oppenheimer, H.L. 60133 Maui BISH 2001-06-17
15 Turnera ulmifolia W Maui, Lahaina District, Lahaina, Wainee St Growing out of cracks in rock wall not far from cultivated plants. Preserved_Specimen Yellow-flowered plants. Oppenheimer, H.L. 50112 Maui BISH 2001-05-13
16 Turnera ulmifolia Keonelele sand dunes under kiawe trees Preserved_Specimen Pekelo Jr., N. 21 Molokai BISH 1973-01-21
17 Turnera ulmifolia S Hilo District, Hilo Growing in gravelly roadside at edge of secondary, alien forest. Preserved_Specimen Flowers yellow. Oppenheimer, H.L. 80107 Hawaii BISH 2001-08-02
18 Turnera ulmifolia 1525 Bernice Street Growing out of middle of rock wall near entrance to Bishop Museum. Dry, urban habitat. Preserved_Specimen Herb about 40 cm high, flowers bright yellow, only seen in morning. No scent (morning). OED Oahu BISH 2006-11-07
19 Turnera ulmifolia Kalaupapa Pali Trail dense shrubbery Preserved_Specimen woody herb 24 high; fl. solitary yellow, 1 in diam. Hemphill, D.V. 62 Molokai BISH 1951-02-11
20 Turnera ulmifolia W Maui, Lahaina District, Mahinahina Growing in weedy, disturbed site. Preserved_Specimen Small, yellow flowered shrub. Oppenheimer, H.L. 80301 Maui BISH 2003-08-01
21 Turnera ulmifolia Koloa District: Kalaheo, along Papalina Road on E side of Kukuiolono Park (golf course) Secondary vegetation with Casuarina along roadside. Preserved_Specimen Subshrub 30-50 cm. tall, parts with rank odor. Petals yellow. Lorence, D.H. 5950 Kauai BISH 1988-04-11
22 Turnera ulmifolia Kewalo St. and Wilder Ave Growing from masonary in canal. Sunny, exposed area Preserved_Specimen Dozens of plants in vacinity Faccenda, K. 1669 Oahu BISH 2020-08-20
23 Turnera ulmifolia Waimea Arboretum full sun Preserved_Specimen slender shrubs 1 m tall. Flowers creamy yellow to lemon yellow Lau, J. 2700 Oahu BISH 1986-08-04
24 Turnera ulmifolia at bottom of cliff trail, Kalaupapa naturalized in underbrush Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 25162 Molokai BISH 1959-04-03
25 Turnera ulmifolia Lyon Arboretum, Middle Lawn Makai, mauka side of greenhouse Preserved_Specimen shrub to 3'; leaves ellipitic-lanceolate, pubescent. Flowers w/yellow corolla, to 4 cm in diam. Calyx green, silky pubescent Ishikawa, S. 234 Oahu BISH 1973-02-21
26 Turnera ulmifolia Honolulu, Niu area, Oka Nursery & Landscaping, 445 Halaki St Preserved_Specimen Shrubs recently propagated up to 30 cm tall. Flowers lemon yellow to canary yellow; odorless (morning) Lau, J. 1949 Oahu BISH 1986-02-03
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