(L.) Blume, Bijdr. Ned.Ind. 549. 1826
Cadillo
Erect or decumbent herb, to 1 m tall, usuallyrooting at lower nodes, sparsely puberulent to strigose on mostparts. Leaves opposite; petioles to 2 cm long; blades ovate toobovate, often rhombate, acuminate, acute at base, 3-10 cm long,1.5-5.5 cm wide. Flowers bisexual, in glomerules (often in 3s) to 5mm long in axillary or terminal, deflexed spikes to 20 cmlong, the spikes interrupted along more than half their length whenmature, the glomerules at maturity with ca 20 flowersmodified into hooks to 1.5 mm long; sepals 5, subequal, lanceolate,ca 2 mm long, pubescent, the veins to 3; stamens 5, united basallyinto a short tube projected into 5 pseudostaminodia;pseudostaminodia alternate with stamens-, regularlybifurcate when young, trifurcate when mature; style 1; stigmacapitate, slightly longer than stamens. Utricles ellipsoid,conspicuously operculate, irregularly circumscissily dehiscent, thecap chartaceous, the remainder hyaline; seed ovate, ca 1 mm long,tan to reddish-brown. Croat 4072.
Very abundant on slopes in the Laboratory Clearing; rare onforest trails. Flowers and fruits throughout the year, probablypeaking in the dry season.
Widely scattered in Central America and northern South America;West Indies; common and widespread throughout the Old Worldtropics, where it is probably native. In Panama, known fromtropical moist forest in the Canal Zone, Bocas del Toro, andDarién, from premontane wet forest in Coclé, andfrom tropical wet forest in Colón.
