Mallows, Rock-roses, and Allies of Zihuatanejo

This plant is common in the tropics, both in ruderal and cultivated environments. It is a plant native to the Americas; it is currently distributed from the southern United States to Argentina. Melochia pyramidata is an erect plant, 30 to 90 cm high. The main stem is slender, with oblique branches, non hairy or with stellate hairs on the younger branches. The leaves are simple, alternate, bright green and not hairy, elongated with serrated edge. The flowers are in groups opposite to the leaves. They are purplish or mauve and tinted yellow at the base. The fruit is pyramid-shaped and slightly swollen, pointed at the top and covered with stellate hairs.

Description

• Melochia pyramidata, commonly known as pyramid melochia, is an annual or short-lived perennial herb in the mallow family (Malvaceae). It has branching stems, simple ovate to lance-shaped leaves with toothed margins, and small, five-petalled flowers that are pink to purplish. The flowers grow in clusters near the ends of branches or in the leaf axils. Its distinctive fruit is a small, rounded capsule divided into sections, containing several seeds. The plant typically has an upright to spreading growth habit.

Range

• Melochia pyramidata is native to tropical and subtropical America, ranging from the southern United States and Mexico through Central America, the Caribbean, and parts of South America. It is native to Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and the surrounding area.

Habitat

• This species grows in open, warm environments, including tropical dry scrub, grasslands, roadsides, agricultural margins, and disturbed ground. It favours sunny locations and can tolerate seasonal drought and a range of soil conditions. It commonly grows during the rainy season and produces seeds that allow it to persist in open habitats from year to year.