Pavonia burchellii (DC.) R.A. Dyer

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.

Flowering class: Dicot Habit: Shrub

Flowering and fruiting: September-February

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: N/A.

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 15-60 cm tall. Stems, branches densely velutinous. Leaves alternate, simple, ovate-oblong, about 2-5 x 1.5-4.5 cm across, base truncate to cordate, 5-7 veined, margins entire or towards apex denticulate, apex obtuse with mucronate tip or apiculate, stellate pubescent both above and beneath, petiole slender, pilose, about 1-8 cm long, stipules linear subulate, filiform. Inflorescence usually axillary solitary. Flowers bisexual, pedicel slender, jointed above the middle near apex, pilose, about 1.5-6 cm long, epicalyx segments 10-12, linear, base free, calyx 5 lobed or toothed, campanulate, base shortly connate, persistent, lobes lanceolate, corolla showy, yellow, orange, pink, petals obovate, hairy near the base. 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, minutely pubescent, mericarps 5, reniform, about 5 x 3 mm across, shortly winged or not, veined reticulately. Seed 1 in each mericarp, reniform, pubescent, brown.

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

Notes: Wastelands

Scrub jungles and dry deciduous forests

Forest edges and waste places.

Not evaluated (IUCN).