Home | > | List of families | > | Euphorbiaceae | > | Micrococca | > | mercurialis |
Synonyms: |
Claoxylon mercuriale Thwaites Mercurialis alternifolia Lam. Tragia mercurialis L. |
Common names: | |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Native |
Description: |
Erect or procumbent annual herb up to c. 50 cm tall. Leaves alternate, elliptic-ovate, 2-7 cm long, pale green, often purple-tinged, with 4-7 pairs of ascending lateral veins ending at the margin; margin scalloped. Inflorescences up to 7.5 cm long, axillary, spike-like, containing male and female flowers. Flowers greenish-yellow with a purplish disk. Fruit ovoid-subspherical, 3-lobed, up to 3 × 5.5 mm, with sparse bristly hairs, bluish-green, drying to dark purple. |
Notes: | |
Derivation of specific name: | |
Habitat: | In seasonally waterlogged alluvium clay in mopane woodland, low stony hills and kopjes or as a weed of disturbed ground and cultivation. |
Altitude range: | 70 - 1300 m |
Flowering time: | |
Worldwide distribution: | More or less throughout tropical Africa. Also in Yemen, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and N. Australia. |
Malawi distribution: | S |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Literature: |
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 42. Radcliffe-Smith, A. (1996). Euphorbiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(4) Pages 176 - 177. Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 58. |
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