| Dicotyledon | Literature for Waltheria indica
Florence, 2004; Wagner et al., 1990; Lorence & Wagner, 2020. |
| Malvaceae -- The Cacao, Linden, Mallow Family | Bibliography |
| Waltheria indica | |
Common name(s): `ala`ala pu loa, `uhaloa, hala `uhaloa, hi`aloa, kanakaloa |
| General Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Distribution | Origin uncertain, possibly tropical America, now pantropical.In the Hawaiian Islands, indigenous to Midway, Ni`ihau, Kaua`i, O`ahu, Moloka`i, Lana`i, Maui, Kaho`olawe, Hawai`i. | |
| Habit |
Perennial herb or subshrub, 0.3‒2 m tall; stems rather rigid, erect to sometimes decumbent, velvety tomentose throughout, hairs stellate. |
|
| Leaves |
Leaves short-petiolate; blade rugose, oblong-ovate to lanceolate, 2‒10 cm long, 1‒5 cm wide, both surfaces tomentose with stellate hairs, abaxial surface paler, apex rounded, sometimes obtuse, base rounded to subcordate, margin crenate-serrate, secondary veins 5‒7 pairs; petiole 0.5‒4.5 cm long. |
|
| Flowers |
Inflorescences axillary, sessile or pedunculate glomerules; bracts linear. Flowers fragrant; calyx strongly ribbed, ca. 3‒5 mm long, villous; petals yellow, spatulate, 4‒6 mm long; style bearded. |
|
| Fruit |
Fruit obliquely globose, 2.5‒3 mm long. |
|
| Seeds |
Seeds obovoid, 1.6‒2.5 mm long, 1.2‒1.6 mm wide, testa dark brown to black, smooth. |
|
| Chromosomes |
2n= 14, 26, 40 |
|
| Contributor |
David Lorence |
