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Spermacoce

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Asterids Order: Gentianales Family: Rubiaceae Genus: Spermacoce

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Annual or perennial herbs or small subshrubs.

Stems: Stems prostrate or erect, usually 4-angled, glabrous to hispid or scabrid.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite or pseudowhorled. Blades usually lanceolate to ovate or elliptic. Margins with 1 to numerous filiform setae. Sessile or petiolate. Stipules adnate to petioles, forming a sheath.

Flowers: Flowers in many-flowered clusters, usually axillary or terminal, subtended by 1-2 or more pairs of bract-like leaves, stipule-derived bracteoles with setae; hypanthium obovoid, turbinate, or obconical. Flowers insect-pollinated, usually small, bisexual (perfect), sessile, often heterostylous. Calyx lobes 2-4(-8) with open aestivation, usually deltate, oblong, or lanceolate, usually persistent, sometimes with intermediate teeth. Corolla funnelform or salverform, the tube usually very slender, the lobes (3)4, spreading, valvate in bud; nectary disk usually present. Stamens 4, alternate with the corolla lobes, inserted on corolla tube or throat, usually exserted; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary inferior, occasionally partly so, or very rarely superior, 2-celled; ovules 1 per cell, attached to middle of septum; style many as carpels, terminal, slender, filiform, exserted; stigmas lobed or capitate, dry or occasionally wet.

Fruit: Fruit either a 2-valved capsule dehiscing from apex downward and the septum disappearing; or of 2 dimorphic mericarps; one dehiscent; the other indehiscent. Seeds 2; usually glossy brown; oblong; ellipsoid; or ovoid; usually reticulate; ventrally grooved; with well-developed oily endosperm; or endosperm occasionally scanty or absent; with well-developed oily endosperm; or endosperm occasionally scanty or absent.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Island Status

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Specimens

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Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 102 (1753)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Scientific Name Authorship Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
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