Malachra
L.
Annual or perennial herbs or undershrubs, hirsute or prickly. Leaves undivided to
angular, palmilobed to palmiparted. Flowers axillary or terminal, in large, condenced
racemes surrounded by large mostly broadly triangular or ovate, deeply cordate leafy
bracts; pedicels very short. Epicalyx absent, rarely present. Calyx cupular, 5-dentate.
Petals 5, red, yellow or white. Staminal column as long as or shorter than petals,
5-toothed, antheriferous throughout. Carpels 5; style-branches 10, connate at base;
stigmas capitate, papillose. Schizocarps globular; mericarps 5, isodiametric to ovoidtrigonous with converse dorsal side, 1-seeded, prominently reticulate veined, indehiscent.
Indigenous to tropical America, ca 10 species; 2 or 3 species introduced as weeds in old World; one in India.
Indigenous to tropical America, ca 10 species; 2 or 3 species introduced as weeds in old World; one in India.
