Pavonia procumbens (Wight & Arn.) Walp.

Pavonia species herbs, undershrubs or shrubs. Stems erect, branches pubescent with stellate hairs and sometimes glabrate. Leaves alternate, simple or lobed, orbicular-ovate to lanceolate-elliptic, base truncate to cordate, margins entire or crenate-dentate, apex acute to acuminate, petiolate, stipules linear subulate, filiform, persistent. Inflorescence usually axillary solitary, terminal panicles or racemes, by the reduction of upper leaves. Flowers bisexual, pedicel slender, jointed above the middle, epicalyx segments 5-12, base free or connate sometimes, calyx 5 lobed or toothed, campanulate or tubular, persistent, corolla showy, yellow, white, red, pink. Staminal column almost as long as petals, anthers basifixed, througout. Ovary 5 carpellate, ovules 1 per locule, style 10, 2 per carpel, stigma 10, capitate. Fruit indehiscent, schizocarp, oblate or discoid, not angled, minutely pubescent or glabrous, mericarps 5, reniform, winged or not, veined reticulately. Seed 1 in each mericarp, reniform, glabrous or hairy.

Pavonia species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: August—December.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., wind dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Perennial herbs or undershrubs, erect, about 0.3-1.5 cm tall. Stems, branches, petioles and pedicels pubescent with simple, minute stellate hairs and some hairs gland tipped. Leaves alternate, simple or 3 lobed, suborbicular to broadly ovate, about 2-10 x 1.5-9 cm across, base cordate, 5-7 veined, margins coarsely crenate to serrate, apex obtuse with mucronate tip or obtusely acuminate, sparsely pubescent minute stellate hairs and simple hairs above and densely pubescent with minute stellate hairs beneath, ultimately glabrescent, petiole minutely stellate pubescent, about 0.5-9 cm long, stipules linear subulate, filiform, stellate hairy, persistent, about 3-5 mm long. Inflorescence usually axillary solitary. Flowers bisexual, pedicel slender, jointed above the middle near apex, densely stellate hairy, about 1.5-6.5 cm long, epicalyx segments 5, linear, base free, rotate, apex acute to acuminate, persistent, about 5-10 x 3-6 mm across, calyx 5 lobed or toothed, campanulate, base shortly connate, persistent, lobes lanceolate-ovate, stellate hairy inside, densely stellate hairy outside, about 9-12 mm across, corolla showy, yellow, white, petals obovate, hairy near the base, apex obtuse, about 14-16 x 10-12 mm across. Staminal column, about 5 mm long, anthers basifixed, througout. Ovary 5 carpellate, ovules 1 per locule, style 10, 2 per carpel, stigma 10, capitate. Fruit indehiscent, schizocarp, oblate or discoid, about 4-5 mm across, not angled, ferruginous stellate hairy or glabrous, mericarps 5, reniform, about 5 x 3 mm across, shortly winged or not, veined reticulately. Seed 1 in each mericarp, reniform, about 2 mm across, glabrous, blackish brown.

Pavonia species are susceptible to various insect pests, virus and fungi, affecting leaves, fruits and roots.

Deciduous and dry deciduous forests.

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Used in folk medicine.