(Last Modified On 3/8/2013)
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(Last Modified On 3/8/2013)
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Species
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MALVAVISCUS ARBOREUS Cav.
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PlaceOfPublication
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Mon. Cl. Diss. Dec. 131, t. 48(1). 1787.
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Description
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Shrub or small tree up to 10 m but usually not more than 4 m high, some- times clambering over other vegetation, very variable in indumentum, in shape of leaves and in size of flower parts, the branchlets velvety-pubescent to glabrescent. Leaves short- to usually long-petiolate, the petiole to 18 cm long; blade lanceolate to broadly ovate, or oblong-ovate, or slightly obovate, or slightly depressed ovate, entire to shallowly lobed, rounded, truncate or cordate at the base, commonly more or less acuminate at the apex, sinuate or crenulate to rather coarsely serrate to den- tate at the margin, up to 21 cm long and 16 cm broad, thin, 5- to 7(-9)-pal- minerved, often scabridulous and usually with spreading, stellate hairs on both sur- faces, the venation reticulate and slightly prominent on both sides. Flowers with the pedicel 1-6 cm long, glabrous to tomentellous; epicalyx equalling more or less the calyx, 11-20 mm long, the bractlets linear, narrowly lanceolate or sometimes more or less narrowly spatulate, glabrous to tomentellous; calyx 10-18 mm long, usually more or less deeply lobed, glabrous to tomentellous; petals obovate or sometimes narrowly obovate, emarginate or infrequently deeply lobed at the apex, 23-55 mm long and (7-)12-25 mm broad, deep pink to bright red; staminal tube 3-6 cm long. Fruit depressed-obovoid, ca 6-10 mm high and 8-13 mm in diam.
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Habit
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Shrub tree
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Distribution
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Southernmost United States and West Indies to Peru and Brazil; sea coast to elevations of 2000 m, in various habitats; often cultivated as an ornamental; known in Panama as mapola and papito de monte.
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Elevation
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sea coast to elevations of 2000 m
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Key
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a. Petals obovate, emarginate at the apex, 23-55 mm long and 12-25 mm broad ----------------------var. MEXICANUS aa. Petals narrowly obovate, deeply lobate at the apex, ca 37 mm long and 7 mm broad, the lobes unequal, undulate, ca. 3.5-5 mm long ----------var. LOBATUS
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