Melochia nodiflora

Melochia nodiflora Sw.

Common Names: No known common name

Family: Malvaceae

Habit: Melochia nodiflora grows as a medium size shrub to 3 meters in height.  The leaves are arranged alternately, ovate to lanceolate, with an acute leaf apex and dentate leaf margin. The petioles may be pubescent.

The complete, perfect, actinomorphic flowers are subsessile in dense clusters in leaf axils.  The calyx has 5 fused green sepals. The corolla has 5 unfused pink petals with visible red veins. There are 5 stamens.  The ovary is superior with 5 locules and numerous seeds.  The fruit is a 5 lobed loculicidal capsule.  All parts of the flower are covered in stellate hairs.

Habitat: Melochia nodiflora grows in Human Altered environments (roadsides/abandoned fields).

Distribution: Melochia nodiflora occurs on northern island groupings in the Lucayan Archipelago, the Caribbean region, Mexico, Central and South America.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Melochia nodiflora is not known to be used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago.