Mirabilis jalapa
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Photo: Bart Wursten
Hysteria Lane, Area 3, Lilongwe
Photo: Bart Wursten
Hysteria Lane, Area 3, Lilongwe
Photo: Bart Wursten
Hysteria Lane, Area 3, Lilongwe
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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)
| Synonyms: | |
| Common names: | Beauty-of-the-night (English) Four o'clock flower (English) Marvel-of-Peru (English) |
| Frequency: | |
| Status: | Introduced |
| Description: |
Herb up to 1.5 m tall. Leaves 3.5-13 × 2-8 cm ovate, glabrous to puberulent, entire; apex acuminate; margin ciliate; rhaphides conspicuous beneath. Inflorescences terminal. Involucre divided ± halfway into 5 triangular to ovate lobes. Perianth 4-5.5 cm long, tubular; lower portion green; upper portion spreading, purple, red, yellow, white or variegated. Stamens 5-6, exserted. Anthocarp 7-9 mm long, ellipsoid to subspherical, ribbed or angled, black. |
| Type location: |
India |
| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | jalapa: from Xalapa (Jalapa), capital of Veracruz state, Mexico. |
| Habitat: | In disturbed places, often on roadsides, sometimes in woodland and by streams |
| Altitude range: (metres) | |
| Flowering time: | |
| Worldwide distribution: | Native from Mexico to Central America; introduced elsewhere. |
| FZ divisions: | N,C,S |
| Growth form(s): | |
| Endemic status: | |
| Red data list status: | |
| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Images last updated: | Wednesday 4 September 2024 |
| Literature: |
Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 216. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 64. Ntore, S. & al. (2024). Checklist of the vascular plants of Burundi Page 168. Stannard, B.L. (1988). Nyctaginaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(1) Pages 13 - 14. (Includes a picture). Troupin, G. (1978). Nyctaginaceae Flore du Rwanda Spermatophytes Volume I Pages 203 - 204. (Includes a picture). |
Other sources of information about Mirabilis jalapa:
Our websites:
Flora of Burundi: Mirabilis jalapaFlora of Burundi: cultivated Mirabilis jalapa
Flora of the DRC: Mirabilis jalapa
Flora of the DRC: cultivated Mirabilis jalapa
Flora of Malawi: cultivated Mirabilis jalapa
Flora of Mozambique: Mirabilis jalapa
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Mirabilis jalapa
Flora of Rwanda: Mirabilis jalapa
Flora of Rwanda: cultivated Mirabilis jalapa
Flora of Zambia: Mirabilis jalapa
Flora of Zambia: cultivated Mirabilis jalapa
Flora of Zimbabwe: Mirabilis jalapa
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Mirabilis jalapa
External websites:
African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Mirabilis jalapaAfrican Plant Database: Mirabilis jalapa
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Mirabilis jalapa
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Mirabilis jalapa
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Mirabilis jalapa
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Mirabilis jalapa
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Mirabilis jalapa
JSTOR Plant Science: Mirabilis jalapa
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Mirabilis jalapa
Plants of the World Online: Mirabilis jalapa
Tropicos: Mirabilis jalapa
Wikipedia: Mirabilis jalapa