Spermacoce or false buttonweed
Description
The species are herbs or small shrubs with small- to medium-sized, four-lobed flowers arranged in capitate inflorescences. Some have a brightly coloured calyx and are eye-catching, particularly the Australian species. The corolla is variable in colour, often white, but also all shades of blue, pink and maroon. The fruit is usually a two-seeded capsule, sometimes a
schizocarp or nut.
[Davidse, G., M. Sousa Sánchez, S. Knapp & F. Chiang Cabrera. 2012. Rubiaceae a Verbenaceae. 4(2): i–xvi, 1–533. In G. Davidse, M. Sousa Sánchez, S. Knapp & F. Chiang Cabrera (eds.) Flora Mesoamericana. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.]
Selected species
Spermacoce is a highly diverse genus with over 290 species in many tropical and subtropical places around the globe.
[ Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families] North American species include:
[ Alftervista Flora of North America ][ Biota of North America Program]
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Spermacoce alata Aubl. - West Indies, most of Latin America; naturalized in Africa, India, China, Southeast Asia, Australia, Melanesia
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Spermacoce brachysepala (Urb.) Alain in H.A.Liogier & L.F.Martorell - West Indian false buttonweed - Puerto Rico, Haiti, Dominican Republic
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Spermacoce capitata Ruiz & Pav. - baldhead false buttonweed - Central America and South America from Belize to Argentina
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Spermacoce confusa Rendle - river false buttonweed - Florida, West Indies, Latin America from Mexico to Argentina
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Spermacoce densiflora (DC.) Alain - bouquet false buttonweed - Florida, West Indies, Latin America from Mexico to Argentina
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Spermacoce eryngioides (Cham. & Schltdl.) Kuntze - whorled-leaf false buttonweed - West Indies including Puerto Rico; southeastern South America from Bolivia and Brazil to Argentina
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Spermacoce exilis (L.O. Williams) C. Adams - Pacific false buttonweed - Latin America from Mexico to Argentina, plus West Indies; naturalized in Africa, China, India, southeast Asia and some tropical oceanic islands
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Spermacoce glabra Michx. - smooth false buttonweed - southern and eastern United States (mostly in the Lower Mississippi Valley); also South America
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Spermacoce keyensis Urb. - Florida false buttonweed - southern Florida, Bahamas, southern tip of Texas (Cameron County)
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Spermacoce neoterminalis Govaerts - Everglades false buttonweed- southern Florida
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Spermacoce ocymoides Burm.f.
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Spermacoce ovalifolia (M. Martens & Galeotti) Hemsl. - broadleaf false buttonweed - West Indies including Puerto Rico, Latin America from Mexico to Paraguay
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Spermacoce prostrata Aubl. - prostrate false buttonweed - Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, West Indies including Puerto Rico; most of Latin America; naturalized in China, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Java
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Spermacoce remota - Lam. - woodland false buttonweed - Florida, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, West Indies, much of Latin America; naturalized in Southeast Asia, China, India, New Guinea, Mauritius and many oceanic islands (including Hawaii)
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Spermacoce tenuior L. - slender false buttonweed - Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, West Indies; Latin America from Mexico to Bolivia; naturalized in Tanzania, Java, Sulawesi and Galápagos
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Spermacoce tetraquetra A. Rich. - pineland false buttonweed - Florida, West Indies, Mexico, Central America
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Spermacoce verticillata L. - shrubby false buttonweed - Florida, West Indies, most of Latin America; naturalized in Africa, Australia, assorted oceanic islands
External links
Gallery
File:Spermacoce articularis (S hispida- Madanghanti) in Hyderabad, AP W2 IMG 9064.jpg| Spermacoce articularis in Hyderabad, India
File:Spermacoce terminalis.jpg| Spermacoce terminalis
File:Spermacoce ocymoides W IMG 2966.jpg| Spermacoce ocymoides at Ananthagiri Hills, in Rangareddy district of Andhra Pradesh, India.
Image:Spermacoce pusilla (Tiny False Buttonweed) in Hyderabad, AP W IMG 0005.jpg| Spermacoce pusilla in Hyderabad, India.
