Description

• Herissantia crispa, commonly known as bladdermallow or curly abutilon, is a sprawling or creeping herb in the mallow family (Malvaceae). Its stems and leaves are covered with fine, star-shaped hairs. The leaves are alternate, broadly oval to heart-shaped, with toothed or scalloped margins. Small, solitary flowers grow from the leaf axils and have five pale yellow, cream-coloured, or occasionally salmon-coloured petals. Its most distinctive feature is the inflated, rounded fruit, resembling a tiny paper lantern, which splits into several sections when mature.

Range

• Herissantia crispa is native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas, ranging from the southern United States through Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean to much of South America. It has also become established in parts of Africa, Asia and Australia. It is native to Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and the surrounding area.

Habitat

• It grows in tropical dry forests, open woodland, scrub, grasslands, rocky areas, roadsides and other disturbed habitats. It is commonly found in sandy or stony soils, sometimes growing among rocks or beneath shrubs. Its sprawling growth habit allows it to spread along the ground or scramble through low vegetation in warm, seasonally dry environments.