Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Spreading or sprawling shrubs 2–3 m tall.

Stems: Prickles 3–7 mm long, slightly hooked, laterally flattened, scattered on stems, both leaf surfaces, main veins, sparse on aged and mature growth, all parts pubescent with stellate hairs, sparse on upper leaf surface, dense on lower surface, general aspect drab.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades broadly ovate–elliptic, variable in size, 10–15 cm long, 8–10 cm wide. Apex acute to obtuse. Base somewhat sagittate to auriculate, equal or oblique. Surfaces pubescent with stellate hairs, sparse on upper surfaces, dense on lower surfaces. Margins with broad lobes, deeply cut in juvenile phases, shallow in mature leaves. Petioles 2–5 cm long. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers numerous (50–100) in congested, branched corymbs, at first terminal, soon lateral by sympodial growth; peduncle to first fork 1–2 cm long. Lower flowers bisexual (perfect), upper ones staminate, actinomorphic; pedicels 5–10 mm long. Calyx 3–4 mm long, the lobes apiculate, 2–3 mm long. Corolla white, stellate, 2.5 cm in diameter, the lobes lanceolate, ca. 10 mm long, apex acute. Stamens 5, inserted on corolla tube; filaments ca. 1 mm long; anthers yellow, attenuate, 6–7 mm long, opening by small apical pores. Ovary superior, globose, pubescent; style 1, erect, 8–10 mm long in perfect flowers, in staminate flowers.

Fruit: Berries few to 10 in clusters; drab yellow; brownish at maturity; mucilaginous; drying with age; globose; 11.5 cm in diameter; pedicels 1–1.5 cm long; thickened below calyx; calyx not much enlarged. Seeds numerous; drab brownish; flattened; discoid; 1.5–2 mm long; slightly reticulate. Self–compatible.

Ploidy: 2n = 24; 48

Habitat:

Elevation Range: