Characteristics of Stylosanthes

Morphological characteristics of Stylosanthes

Small annual herbs, 5-13 cm tall. Leaves all basal, with very short stalks, ovoid, ovate to Obovate, 5-8 mm long, apex obtuse or rounded, entire, glabrous, veins inconspicuous. Stems 1-3, leafless, unbranched, or bifurcate, distally sparsely short glandular hairy. Inflorescences are long sparse spikes. Flowers small, sessile; bracts ovate, less than 1 mm long; calyx tube (ovary) narrow, sparsely glandular hairy, lobes small, anterior 2 connate into a shallowly 2-lobed lobe at tip, 1.8 mm long, the other 3 striate, 1.2 mm long Corolla white, ca. 2 mm long, tube short, anterior lobe very small, ovate, reflexed into lips, the other 4 spreading backward, the last 2 longer, apical 2-lobed, with appendages at base; gynostem 3.5 mm long, protruding; ovary 2-loculed. Capsule finely columnar, ca. 8 mm.

Distribution of Stylosanthes

Produced along the coast of Guangdong. It is also found in Sri Lanka and Queensland in northeastern Australia. Born in wet grass by a hilly stream.