Hierba de Pollo

Appearance

Perennial, without tubercles; creeping stems, rooting in the knots. Leaves 3-8.5 x 1.2-2.5 cm, lanceolate, with uneven sides, narrow and acute, subpeciolated, thin and membranous, generally purplish in the underside and frequently also along the beam, not blackish when dried, almost almost glabrous to hairy in the beam with trichomes of 1-2 mm, thin, stiff, appressed. Inflorescences generally solitary, terminal or opposite to the leaves; peduncles 1.5-3 cm; bracts 2, 1-1.5 (-2) x 0.5- 0.7 cm (folded), subequal, suboval, glabrous; they are very small; pedicels 5-6 mm. Sepals c. 4.5 x 2.5 mm, free, subequal, superiors slightly wider and hooded, sparsely hairy; petals c. 6.5 x 5.5 mm, free, very broadly ovate, pink; subequal stamens, slightly longer antipetals; filaments c. 3.5 mm, bearded near the base; connective of the sagittate, white anthers; ovary 1 mm, with few apical trichomes; 2 ovules per locule. Capsule c. 3 mm; seeds c. 1.5 mm, gray, alveolate. 2n = 36 Self-incompatible Wet forests, stream banks. B (Gentle 7165, K); G (Smith 2224, K); H (Armstrong s.n., K); ES (Rohweder 679, HBG); N (Stevens 11360, US); CR (Tonduz II.831, US); P (Stevens 18183, K). 500-2500 m. (Veracruz to Panama.)

(translated from Spanish -in the source- to English)