(Last Modified On 9/11/2013)
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(Last Modified On 9/11/2013)
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Species
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Mitracarpus hirtus (L.) DC.
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PlaceOfPublication
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Prodr. 4: 572. 1830.
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Synonym
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Spermacoce hirta L., Sp. PI., ed. 2. 148. 1762. LECTOTYPE: ?Jamaica, Herb. Linnaeus (LINN 125.4, not seen; microfiche MO). Mitracarpus brevifolius Gray, P1. Wright. 2: 68. 1853. TYPE: M6xico, Wright 1120, not seen.
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Description
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Herbs to 0.5 m tall, the stems simple or branched basally, angular, glabrescent to villose, the hairs white, weak. Leaves lanceolate or oblong, 5(-6) cm long, to 1.5 cm wide, deltoid to acute at the apex, attenuate acute at the base, the costa prominulous above, subprominent beneath, the lateral veins 3-4, often evanes- cent, arcuate, strongly ascending, chartaceous, usually concolorous, glabrous to pubescent above, the hairs short, stiff, scabridulous; petioles short or absent; stipules connate, adnate to petiole, each part crescentic or hemispherical, to 4 mm long, the terminal margin with 8-10 subulate setas as long as or slightly longer than the sheath. Inflorescences terminal and axillary, the flowers in sub- rotund heads, to 0.7 cm in diam., burrlike because of the persistent, stiff calycine lobes and bracteoles; bracteoles numerous, subulate or linear triangular, erect, shorter than the capsule. Flowers very small; hypanthium short, the calycine lobes 4, unequal, lanceolate or subulate, to 1.5 mm long, pellucid, thickly and scarious marginate, the margin with well spaced, subulate hairs, with several oblong glands aggregated below the middle; corolla white, the tube cylindrical, often turgid, ca. 1.8 mm long, the lobes 4, ca. 0.6 mm long, pubescent marginally; stamens 4, the anthers oblong rotund, ca. 0.45 mm long, glandular apiculate, sessile or attached near the mouth; stigmas 2, minute, often exserted. Fruit a circumscissile capsule, ca. 1 mm long (exclusive of persistent calyx), dehiscing uniformly to expose the seeds, the cap hairy, the seeds quadrangular, brown, pitted.
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Habit
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Herbs
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Distribution
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a common weed throughout tropical America and the West Indies but has been collected only sporadically in Panama.
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Note
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It is naturalized in Asia and Malaysia. Steyermark (1972) has an elaborate discussion of the typ- ification of M. hirtus in his remarks on M. villosus (Sw.) C. & S.
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Specimen
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BOCAS DEL TORO: Changuinola Valley, Dunlap 373 (F). CANAL ZONE: Albrook, Blum 449 (MO). Summit Gardens, Croat 6761 (MO). Ft. Kobbe, Duke 3962 (MO). Railroad 3 km W of Gamboa, Nee 9505 (MO). CHIRIQUf: Lava flow between El Hato and Bambito, D'Arcy 10041 (MO). COCLE: Boca del Toabre, confluence of Rfo Toabre and Rio Cocle del Norte, Lelvis et al. 5487 (MO). DARIEN: Rfo Mortf, 6 mi upstream from Mortf Abajo, Duke 10161 (MO). Rfo Tuquesa, lower Tuquesa mining company camp called Charco Chiva, Mori 6968 (MO). PANAMA: Isla Taboga, Allen 1273 (MO). Cerro Azul, Tyson 2067 (MO). VERAGUAS: 0.2 mi beyond fork in road at Escuela Agricola Alto Piedra, road to Rfo Calov6bora, 750 m, Croat & Folsom 33868 (MO).
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