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Urena lobata

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

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

aramina, bur mallow, pink burr

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Erect or diffuse subshrubs 0.5-2 m tall, pubescence various, the hairs stellate and sometimes simple.

Stems: Branches often tinged purple, closely stellate and sometimes also simple pubescent.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades ovate to transverse-elliptic, 2-10 cm wide, unlobed or 3-angled, 5-angled, or 7-angled or lobed. Base truncate to cordate or cuneate. Lower surfaces with a bordered gland on midrib and sometimes adjacent adjacent veins near base. Margins serrate to crenate. Petioles usually shorter than blades. Stipules obscure, caducous.

Flowers: Flowers solitary or glomerate in the leaf axils or in spicate or racemose inflorescences by reduction of upper leaves, pedicels 0.2-0.4(-0.6) cm long, not articulate; involucral bracts 5, 4-7 mm long, linear-subulate to narrowly oblong, connate basally, alternate with the 5 calyx lobes. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Calyx tubular to campanulate, composed of connate sepals, (3-)5-toothed or (3-)5-lobed, sometimes irregularly cleft or truncate, 4-6 mm long, the lobes valvate in bud. Corolla actinomorphic to moderately zygomorphic, tubular to rotate, the corolla of 5 petals, pink to purplish pink, maroon at base, drying lavendar, 1-1.5 cm long, obovate, distinct from each other but adnate at base to staminal column, convolute in bud. Stamens 5 to numerous, monadelphous, staminal column prominent, slightly deflexed, 1-1.5 cm long; anthers in upper 1/2; filaments terminating the staminal column or borne below a 5-dentate apex; anthers monothecal; anthers and stigmas dark purple. Pollen globose, echinate. Ovary superior, carpels 5, the carpels borne in a single whorl or rarely seemingly superposed whorls, placentation axile; ovules 1 per carpel, ascending; style branches 10, exceeding the staminal column; stigmas capitate.

Fruit: Schizocarps; mericarps 5; 4-5 mm long; trigonous; stellate pubescent and reticulate-veined; usually strongly glochidiate apically and dorsally; ca 1 mm long; indehiscent. Seeds 2.5-3.5 mm long; brown; reniform; glabrous or puberulent; with or without endosperm.

Ploidy: 2n = 14; 28; 56

Habitat: Naturalized in low elevation disturbed areas.

Elevation Range: 20–30 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
Maui Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Water/Ocean
Other Animals

Pollinators

Notes

  • Description digitized by Ashley wilson
  • Description digitized from the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii
  • The elevation range of Urena lobata is 20-30 m.
  • Urena lobata is an erect or diffuse shrub and is about 0.5-2 m tall. Further Urena lobata has often tangled purple branches that are closely stellate and sometimes also simple pubescent. Additionally, the pedicles of Urena lobata grow to be about 0.2-0.6 cm long. Also the anthers and stigmas are dark purple. Lastly, Urena lobata was first noted by Nelson.

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 692 (1753)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:903 (K, O, EM); Staples & Herbst 2005:383 (KEY), 393 (DESCR); St. John 1978:322 (Noted by David Nelson in his journal during Cook's 3rd Voyage, this early date suggests it is indigenous, no spm. known [strangely, U. lobata is not currently known from H which suggests this may have been a misidentification])

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Urena lobata East Maui, Keanae Valley, Along the valley road just inside the forest reservoir boundary Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 2659 Maui BISH 1986-12-30
2 Urena lobata Cultiv. College of Hawaii Greenhouse Preserved_Specimen (Not on sheet) 1916 Oahu BISH 1916-09-16
3 Urena lobata Waiahole Trail Preserved_Specimen Kerr, M. Oahu BISH 1946-08-18
4 Urena lobata Honolulu; Manoa, Luaalaea; Koa forest Preserved_Specimen (Not on sheet) Oahu BISH 1936-05-01
5 Urena lobata along Waioli Valley Road, Waioli Preserved_Specimen Funk, E.J. Kauai BISH 1989-10-27
6 Urena lobata Waiahole Valley Preserved_Specimen Judd, C.S. Oahu BISH 1938-11-04
7 Urena lobata Punaluu Cane field. Preserved_Specimen Weed. Nakagawa, S. Oahu BISH 1930-10-28
8 Urena lobata Kaau Crater Trail, Palolo Valley, Koolau Mts, seen mainly on slope approaching crater floor Mesic forest, mostly shaded, in strawberry guava understory Preserved_Specimen Subshrub; stems erect, ca 50-60 cm tall; flowers light pink, darker towards the center ;ca. 15-20 plants seen Ross, M.C. 2071 Oahu BISH 2024-10-02
9 Urena lobata Punaluu Valley. At bottom of Pig-God Trail Wet roadside under mountain apple trees. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 7127 Oahu BISH 1931-08-11
10 Urena lobata Oahu Windward side Oahu near beach. Preserved_Specimen Weed; 2-3 feet. Flower rose colored. not troublesome. Caum, E.L. 1315 Oahu BISH 1924-10-01
11 Urena lobata Waiahole Valley, Koolaupoko Uncommon in fallow agricultural fields along north fork Waiahole Valley Rd. Growing with Mimosa pudica, Phyllanthus debilis, etc. Preserved_Specimen Erect, to 1 m. height, usually 0.5-0.75 m. Sparkingly branched shrublet with rose-pink flowers. Nagata, K.M. 2392 Oahu BISH 1981-12-12
12 Urena lobata Hanalei District: Manoa Valley, above falls in valley to East of Limahuli. Metrosideros, Dicranopteris linearis wet forest. Broussaisia arguta, Cibotium spp., Sadleria cyathioides, Ilex anomala, Cheirodendrron trigynum, Pipturus albidus, Scaevola procera, Freycinetia arborea. Preserved_Specimen Clumping next to stream Tangalin, N. 3811 Kauai BISH 2014-06-06
13 Urena lobata Site: A9-40 near trees 8, 9 (orig.) Preserved_Specimen Subshrub in shade, to 1 m. high. Nagata, K.M. 147 Oahu BISH 1966-08-08
14 Urena lobata Punaluu Valley; near bottom of Pig-God Trail Wet roadside under mountain-apple trees. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 7126 Oahu BISH 1931-08-05
15 Urena lobata Lawai. Intersection of Waha and Lauoho roads Preserved_Specimen Shrub of 6 ft. Corolla pink. Flynn, T.W. 660 Kauai BISH 1983-11-23
16 Urena lobata Kahana Valley Project. Along jeep trail on the Kawa side of the valley. Pass the main gate and the marshy area Preserved_Specimen Common weed with pink flowers. Herat, T. 157 Oahu BISH 1972-08-14
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