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Melochia umbellata

(Houtt.) Stapf (1913)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Malvales Family: Malvaceae Genus: Melochia

melochia, toilet paper tree

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Small trees or shrubs 2–15 m tall.

Stems: Young stems tomentose with stellate hairs.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades broadly ovate, 9–30(–50) cm long, 3.8–15(–27) cm long. Base rounded to cordate. Surfaces stellate pubescent. Margins irregularly crenate–serrate. Petioles 2.5–11(–20) cm long. Stipules ovate to suborbicular, 4–10 mm long, deciduous.

Flowers: Flowers in open corymbiform cymes, the ultimate divisions umbellate, peduncles 3–7(–11) cm long, pedicels 1–3 mm long. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Calyx yellowish green to pinkish brown, the lobes deltate, 2–3.5 mm long, pubescent with stellate and also simple or forked hairs. Corolla actinomorphic to moderately zygomorphic, tubular to rotate or reflexed. corolla of 5 petals, pale pink to red, rarely yellow or orange–tinged, pale blue, purple, or violet, distinct, convolute, obovate to oblanceolate, 6–7 mm long. Stamens 5, opposite the petals, of 2 lengths in different flowers, 4–5 mm long and 5.5–6.5 mm long; filaments partly connate; anthers dithecal. Pollen globose, echinate. Ovary superior, 5(–8)-carpellate, with as many cells, 2 lengths in different flowers, 6– 7 mm long and 4.5–5 mm long; the carpels borne in a single whorl or rarely seemingly superposed whorls, placentation axile; ovules 1 to numerous per cell, ascending to pendulous; style exceeding the staminal column, unbranched and stigmatically lobed at apex or branched, the branches as many or twice as many as carpels; stigmas terminal or decurrent.

Fruit: Fruit a subglobose or pentagonal; green; brown; or purplish red; oblong; 8–10 mm long; incompletely septicidal; deeply grooved between carpels. Seeds 1–2 per cell; brown; 2–3.5 mm long; winged; with or without endosperm.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Lana'i Potentially naturalizing
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Wind
Forestry

Pollinators

Notes

  • Description digitized by Ashley wilson
  • Description digitized from the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii
  • Melochia umbellata grows as small trees or shrubs that are about 2-15 m tall. Further, the ovaries are two lengths in different flowers which range from 6- 7 mm long and 4.5-5 mm long.

Bibliography

Name Published In: Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1913: 317 (1913)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1279 (H); Oppenheimer 2004:17 (EM, WM); Frohlich & Lau 2007:11 (O); Frohlich & Lau 2012:48 (K)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Melochia umbellata W Maui, Wailuku District, Waikapu Valley, near reservoir on S side of valley In Alien Forest. Preserved_Specimen Petals pink. Oppenheimer, H.L. 50227 Maui BISH 2002-05-27
2 Melochia umbellata Palawai, Lanaihale Moist forest. Preserved_Specimen 5 m tree. St.John, H. 18875 Lanai BISH 1938-04-15
3 Melochia umbellata Kahuku Training Area, roadside on ridge near summit between Oio and Ohia Gulches Growing with Metrosideros polymorpha, Casuarina equisetifolia, Melaleuca quinquenervia, Melinis minutiflora, Dicranopteris linearis. Preserved_Specimen Tree up to 10 m tall. About 10-20 mature (ca. 10 m tall) tree with 2-400 smaller immature plants. Keir, M. Oahu BISH 2003-01-28
4 Melochia umbellata Koloa District. Kalaheo. Puu Road. Secondary vegetation. W/ Syzygium, Schefflera, Urochloa, Schinus, and Leucaena. Preserved_Specimen Tree of 20 ft.; leaves glossy dark green above w/ pale green mid & secondary veins, below velvety green w/ raised whitish green veins; immature fruit pale green, ripening brown and splitting into 5 locules. Approx. 13 individuals seen along road. New island weed record. Flynn, T.W. 7779 Kauai BISH 2014-04-29
5 Melochia umbellata Hilo. Panaewa Disturbed forest. Preserved_Specimen Tree with pink flowers. (Not on sheet) 341 Hawaii BISH 1982-02-01
6 Melochia umbellata Puna; 1 km W on Pakaka Rd Preserved_Specimen tree to 8 m ; flowers pink; leaf to 25 cm Annable, C.R. 3739 Hawaii BISH 1998-01-13
7 Melochia umbellata Koolau range, Kaunala, near Puu Kaui Preserved_Specimen shrub 6 m Webster, G.L. 1197 Oahu BISH 1948-01-25
8 Melochia umbellata along Stainback Hwy Preserved_Specimen Tree, about 25'., 4.5 DBH, with soft wood; ligh yellow-green foliage; bark smooth, dark brown, with gray periderm when old; flower pink with yellow-green pistil Herbst, D.R. 882 Hawaii BISH 1968-02-02
9 Melochia umbellata Honolulu, Manoa Valley, Lyon Arboretum, Middle Lawn Makai Preserved_Specimen small weak tree, ht. 15', 2 dbh. Stem pithy; leaves, petioles, young stems pubescent. Young leaves silvery green Nagata, K.M. 729 Oahu BISH 1970-12-22
10 Melochia umbellata Koloa district; Kalaheo; Kukuiolono Golf Course Preserved_Specimen tree of 20'. Petioles yellowish-green; leaves dull green to grey-green above, dull green with yellow-green veins; calyx pale whitish-yellow; corolla of 5 petals; pink with orange base within, whitish-pink without Flynn, T.W. 3770 Kauai BISH 1990-02-16
11 Melochia umbellata S of Hilo Preserved_Specimen Krajina, V.J. 611228034 Hawaii BISH 1961-12-28
12 Melochia umbellata Waiakeakua Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 270 Lanai BISH
13 Melochia umbellata Hwy 11, 45-46 mile marker, Kau District, along roadside Along the highway, dry open distruged, mixed with other native species. Preserved_Specimen Shrubs or small trees, not ffertile parts. Bio, K.F. 10018 Hawaii BISH 2001-05-30
14 Melochia umbellata Punaluu Valley Preserved_Specimen Judd Jr., A.F. Oahu BISH 1931-05-16
15 Melochia umbellata East Maui, Hamakuapoko, in the old Grant Bailey yard Preserved_Specimen Crosby, W. Maui BISH 1939-03-30
16 Melochia umbellata Manoa Valley, near head arboretum of H.S.P.A Preserved_Specimen Caum, E.L. Oahu BISH 1930-12-11
17 Melochia umbellata Kapalama, Tip wet depression Preserved_Specimen Ewart III, G.R. 7 Oahu BISH 1929-01-10
18 Melochia umbellata Hilo Roadside clearing. Preserved_Specimen Small tree 30 ft., 6 in. diam. Little Jr., E.L. 31254 Hawaii BISH 1976-09-15
19 Melochia umbellata 5 mi s. of Hilo roadside clearing Preserved_Specimen small tree 30', 6 diam. Little Jr., E.L. 31280 Hawaii BISH 1976-09-23
20 Melochia umbellata Kahuku mauka slong trail Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 19548 Oahu BISH 1949-03-20
21 Melochia umbellata W Maui, Wailuku District, Waikapu Valley, near reservoir on S side of valley In Alien Forest. Preserved_Specimen Petals pink. Oppenheimer, H.L. 50227 Maui BISH 2002-05-27
22 Melochia umbellata Waiakea Arboretum; Waiakea Forest Preserve; 5 miles South of Hilo Secondary forest Preserved_Specimen Introduced tree Little Jr., E.L. 23042 Hawaii BISH 1968-06-02
23 Melochia umbellata Kalaheo, on Puu Road, Makai of Kukuiolono Park. UTM 444965, 2423067 Dry lowland gulch, growing with Mangifera indica, Syzygium cumini, Panicum maximum. Preserved_Specimen Sparingly branched tree to about 20 feet tall. Decidous stipules. Corollas pink. Copious immature fruit developing. OED 2010021901 Kauai BISH 2010-02-19
24 Melochia umbellata Koloa District. Kalaheo. Puu Road. Secondary vegetation. W/ Syzygium, Schefflera, Urochloa, Schinus, and Leucaena. Preserved_Specimen Tree of 20 ft.; leaves glossy dark green above w/ pale green mid & secondary veins, below velvety green w/ raised whitish green veins; immature fruit pale green, ripening brown and splitting into 5 locules. Approx. 13 individuals seen along road. New island weed record. Flynn, T.W. 7779 Kauai BISH 2014-04-29
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