FoI
Broad-Leaf Buttonweed
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Broad-Leaf Buttonweed
aturalized Photo: Thingnam Girija
Common name: Broad-Leaf Buttonweed • Kannada: ದಾರೆಕಡ್ಡಿ Daarekaddi, ಮದನಗಂಟಿ Madanaganti • Malayalam: തറുതാവൽ Tharthaval, കുടൽചുരുക്കി Kudalchurukki • Nepali: पौंधी Paundhi • Sanskrit: मदनघण्टा Madanaghanta • Tulu: ದಾರೆಕಡ್ಡಿ Daarekaddi Source: Names of Plants in India
Botanical name: Spermacoce latifolia    Family: Rubiaceae (Coffee family)
Synonyms: Borreria latifolia, Spermacoce aspera, Spermacoce scabrida

Broad-leaf Buttonweed is a perennial herb or subshrub, 2-6 ft tall, commonly erect, rarely prostrate or rising up; stems often woody at basal nodes, sometimes rooting at a few basal nodes. Leaves are papery, opposite, without leaf-axil brachyblasts, stalkless to short-stalked; leaf-stalks to 8 mm long. Leaves are ovate, elliptic, narrowly elliptic, or ovate-lanceshaped to lanceshaped, 2.3-7 x 0.6-3 cm, pointed to narrowed at base, not decurrent along the leaf-stalk, pointed to tapering at tip. Flowers are borne axillary clusters, with 7-17 flowering glomerules. Flowers are funnel-shaped, 3.5-5.5 mm long, commonly white or sometimes pale bluish-white to pale purplish-white. Flower tube is 2.5-4 mm long, petals 1-2 mm long. Stamens are equal in length, inserted at same height in flower tube. Anthers are all protruding on filaments of the same length, 0.8-1.5 mm long. Capsule is 3-4 mm long. Broad-leaf Buttonweed is native to tropical America, naturalized in Asia and Africa. It is found in the Himalayas, at altitudes of 200-2000 m, and also in Peninsular India.

Identification credit: Dinesh Valke Photographed in Manipur.

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