Microglossa pyrifolia (Lam.) Kuntze

Code

MIGPY

Growth form

Shrub

Biological cycle

perennial

Habitat

terrestrial

Global description

Microglossa pyrifolia is a shruby and climbing plant having a stem covered with fine glandular pubescence. The leaves are simple, alternate, shortly petiolate, and oval-shaped. The inflorescence is a branched panicle of yellowish white capitulums arranged in dense corymbiform groups. The basal bracts of the involucre are persistent.
 
General habit

Microglossa pyrifolia is a woody shruby and climbing plant, measuring 0.7 to 3 m high.
 
Underground system

The plant has a taproot system.
 
Stem

The stem is branched, cylindrical becoming rapidly woody. It is streaked, densely covered with small glandular hairs.
 
Leaf

The leaves are simple alternate, carried by a short petiole (10-15 mm long). The leaf blade is oval, 5 to 10 cm long and 2.5 to 4 cm wide. The base is rounded and apex acuminate. The margin is entire more or less corrugated with spaced, sparsely marked tines. The lower surface is pale green, covered with short glandular hairs, and a dense, ferruginous villosity on the veins. The upper surface is green and scabrous. The venation is arched.
 
Inflorescence

The inflorescence is a set of yellowish white capitulums arranged in a corymbiform panicle in the axils of the leaves or at the end of the axes. The capitulums are 5 to 6 mm in diameter and 10 to 12 mm in length. At the base is a campanulate involucre of bracts arranged on 4 to 5 rows. The external bracts are membranous, ovate with obtuse apex and are 0.7 to 2 mm long. They are covered with a thin tubercular pubescence. The internal bracts are linear to lanceolate, 2 to 5 mm long, glabrous. The basal bracts are persistent. The receptacle of the capitulum is convex.
 
Flower

On the outside of the capitulum are numerous ligulate florets with a filiform ligule 1 mm long.
Inside the capitulum of the flower are tubular florets, with a tube of 2.5 mm surmounted by 5 lobes.
 
Fruit

The fruit is an obovoid, compressed achene, 1 mm long with 3 to 4 longitudinal ridges with some fine glandular hairs at the top. The pappus consists of white or reddish bristles arranged on 2 to 3 rows. Those from the outside are 1 mm long, those from the inside are 4 mm long.

Microglossa pyrifolia is a perennial species. It is spread through seeds disseminated by wind and runoff.

Microglossa pyrifolia can be confused with other bushy species with inflorescences in corymbs of whitish capitulum such as Chromolaena odorata (L.) R.M.King & H.Rob. and Ageratina adenophora (Spreng.) King & H.Rob.

The distinction of these three species can be made by the following characters:

Microglossa pyrifolia grows in forest edges, open forests, wetlands and plantations, especially in agro forestry systems. It can be found from sea level up to 1800 m of altitude.

Central Africa: Microglossa pyrifolia grows in fallow land, plantations, savannahs, thickets, xerophyllous copses, forest margins, riverbanks and swamps; up to 2,400 m altitude.
Comoros: Microglossa pyrifolia is present in fallow and degraded dry forest areas.
Mauritius: Absent
Mayotte: Species present in fallow land and areas of degraded dry forest. It is found at the edge of the forest, along roadsides, on slopes and in urban areas.
Reunion: Absent
Senegal: Species present in forest recruits in the south of the Casamance River, but very rare in the north.

Worldwide distribution

Microglossa pyrifolia occurs in tropical Africa, China, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Madagascar, Comoros and Mayotte.

Herbarium pictures ReCOLNAT: https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=Microglossa%2520pyrifolia