Global description
Melochia corchorifolia is a terrestrial herbaceous plant, annual or perennial, erect, reaching up to 150 cm high. Roots are fibrous, white or brown in colour. Sub-woody stem with a rounded section, full, with stellate hairs. Leaves are simple, alternate, stalked with linear stipules at the base. Leaf blade is entire, more than 2 cm long / wide, hairy on both sides, with the margin coarsely dentate, attenuated or acute apex, cordate base, rounded or truncate, pinnately veined, trinerved at the base. Flowers are bisexual, and grouped in lateral or terminal glomerulus, sessile or stalked, with 5 white petals with yellow, pink or purple heart. The fruit is a dehiscent capsule with four or more valves.
Stem
The stem is cylindrical, solid, rapidly sub-woody, almost glabrous. Young twigs have aligned stellate hairs.
Leaf
Leaves are simple alternate, stalked with ciliated linear stipules. Leaf blade is oval, round or slightly cuneate at the base, vertex top, 3 to 6 cm long, up to 4 cm wide, 5 ribs at the base. Serrated margin. Leaf blade is almost glabrous.
Inflorescence
Inflorescence in axillary glomerules of white flowers with yellow, pink to purple center.
Flower
Calyx 4 to 5 mm with 5 acute lobes. Elliptical petals are 5mm, white, with yellow, purplish pink heart.
Fruit
The fruit is a capsule, 4 mm, fluted, hispid with 5 loculus containing a seed.
Seed
Seed is flat, convex, 2.5 mm long.
