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Callisia fragrans

(Lindl.) Woodson (1942)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Monocots Order: Commelinales Family: Commelinaceae Genus: Callisia

basket plant, fragrant callisia

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Perennial herbs.

Stems: Stems fleshy, up to 10 dm long, branched, with long stolons at base.

Roots: Fibrous root system.

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate, spiral, clustered toward the ends of the stem, scattered below. Blades elliptic–lanceolate, 18–25 cm long, 3.5–4 cm wide. Apex acuminate. Base sessile, prominently veined, clasping, ciliate, often striped with purple. Surfaces glabrous. Margins entire. Veins parallel. Sheathing. Stipules absent.

Flowers: Flowers in compact pairs of cymes arranged in panicles up to 6 dm long, each cyme pair subtended by 3– toothed bracts 10–15 mm long. Flowers fragrant, bisexual (perfect) and complete. Sepals white–transparent, scarious, lanceolate, 5–6 mm long. Corolla of 3 petals; petals glossy, white–transparent, thin, wilting by noon, narrowly ovate, erose, ca. 6 mm long. Stamens 6, all similar and fertile, those opposite the petals; anthers widely separated by a flattened rectangular connective. Ovary superior, 3-carpellate, 3-celled; ovules 2 per cell; style filiform; stigma penicillate.

Fruit: Loculicidal capsules 3–celled. Seeds [1–]2 per locule.

Ploidy: 2n = 12; 24

Habitat: Cultivated and now sparingly naturalized in urban areas.

Elevation Range: 5–25 m.

Historical Distribution

Uses and Culture

USES

  • Yes

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Maui Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 29: 154 (1942)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:1378 (K, O); Starr et al. 2003:26 (EM); Staples & Herbst 2005:647 (DESCR)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Callisia fragrans Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Caum, E.L. Oahu BISH 1934-02-21
2 Callisia fragrans East Maui, Makawao, near town, Brewer Rd On bank. Associated vegetation: Anredera cordifolia, Tradescantia zebrina. Preserved_Specimen Creeping perennial herb. Starr, F. 110232 Maui BISH 2001-10-23
3 Callisia fragrans Honolulu; Pacific Heights Road, lower part Growing by road. Preserved_Specimen Neal, M.C. Oahu BISH 1932-01-28
4 Callisia fragrans Honolulu; Bluffs on E side of entrance to Palolo Valley, Kaimuki Abundant, forming large patches. Preserved_Specimen Stem prostrate with ascending tip, spreading by stolons; flowers white. Fosberg, F.R. 29645 Oahu BISH 1948-03-01
5 Callisia fragrans Honolulu; Makiki At foot of Punchbowl, SE slope Steep slope in shade of dense Leucaena glauca forest, around rubbish dump. Large, well-established colony. Preserved_Specimen Spreading, creeping. Blue flowers. Fosberg, F.R. 27144 Oahu BISH 1946-10-28
6 Callisia fragrans Honolulu; University of Hawaii, Manoa campus, behind Johnson Hall At edge of quarry. Preserved_Specimen Decumbent, succulent herb. Herbst, D.R. 5270 Oahu BISH 1975-04-07
7 Callisia fragrans Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 9773 Oahu BISH 1931-01-01
8 Callisia fragrans Honolulu; Makiki At foot of Punchbowl, SE slope Steep slope in shade of dense Leucaena glauca forest, around rubbish dump. Large, well-established colony. Preserved_Specimen Spreading, creeping. Blue flowers. Fosberg, F.R. 27144 Oahu BISH 1946-10-28
9 Callisia fragrans Lawai; N of Guest House, E of Lawai Stream; Lawai-Kai Estate, lower Lawai Valley Growing along trail. Preserved_Specimen Low perennial herb to ca. 4 dm high, sending out unbranched runners from base. Inflorescence terminal, to ca. 7 dm high. Flowers white. Fay, J.J. 173 Kauai BISH 1974-02-13
10 Callisia fragrans Honolulu: Kapalama; Bishop Museum grounds Receives full sun. Preserved_Specimen An herb with stems decumbent, forming a tangled dense mass. Flowers white except for sepals which are white with reddish-purple at the tips. Flowers moderately fragrant (morning). Lau, J. 1882 Oahu BISH 1986-01-15
11 Callisia fragrans Honolulu; Kaimuki Growing over rocks in vacant lot. One naturalized clump. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 2559 Oahu BISH 1928-02-04
12 Callisia fragrans Honolulu, Mau'umae nature park, trail though upper portion of park Dry, sunny, scrubby area along trail Preserved_Specimen Two patches seen in the park. Apparently naturalized Faccenda, K. 2361 Oahu BISH 2022-05-14
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