Spermacoce prostrata Aubl.

  • Authority

    Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.

  • Family

    Rubiaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Spermacoce prostrata Aubl.

  • Description

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    Species Description - Erect or decumbent herb, to 40 cm long; twigs nearly 4-angled, ridged, sparsely pilose, especially along the ridges. Leaf blades 1-2 x 0.2-0.9 cm, elliptic, oblong-elliptic, to obovate, chartaceous, strigillose above, the apex obtuse or acute, the base acute or obtuse, the margins strigillose, revolute; petioles 0-2 mm long; stipule sheath whitish, 0.4-0.5 mm long, with numerous bristles to 2.5 mm long. Flowers in axillary or terminal heads. Hypanthium ca. 1 mm long, nearly cup-shaped, glabrous, the lobes lanceolate, unequal, ca. 1 mm long; corolla white, tubular, ca. 0.6 mm long, the lobes triangular ca. 0.2 mm long; stamens included. Capsule ellipsoid, 0.7-1 mm long, opening from the apex. Seeds nearly ellipsoid, ca. 0.5 mm long, light brown, with 4-5 rows of pits.

  • Distribution

    A common weed of open disturbed, moist areas. Coral Bay Quarter along road to Bordeaux (A3180), Cruz Bay Quarter along trail to Sieben (A2062). Also on Tortola; throughout tropical America and Asia.

    Asia| Tortola Virgin Islands South America|