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mollugo

Scientific Name: Mollugo pentaphylla

Family: Molluginaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth:

Duration:

Other Names:

       

Mollugo: An Overview

Mollugo is a genus belonging to the flowering plant family Molluginaceae. This genus includes several dozen species of herbaceous plants.

Considerations for Pets

  • Mollugo verticillata is known to spread rapidly, forming a mat-like ground cover, which might be of interest to pets.

Nomenclature and Taxonomy

  • Scientific Name: Mollugo
  • Family: Molluginaceae
  • Kingdom: Not explicitly mentioned in the provided text, but implied to be Plantae.
  • Rank: Genus
Species Examples
  • Mollugo verticillata (Green Carpetweed)
  • Mollugo nudicaulis
  • Mollugo cerviana var. cerviana
  • Mollugo pentaphylla L.
    • Synonym: Mollugo stricta L.
  • Mollugo costata Y.T.Chang & Wei
  • Mollugo pusilla (Likely ID)

Distribution and Habitat

  • Mollugo verticillata originates from tropical America.
  • It is a common weed in eastern North America.
  • Also found in E. Asia - India, through tropical Asia to Australia, New Caledonia and Micronesia.
  • Often found as a minor weed in cultivated areas.
  • Specifically found in roadsides and waste places in moist soil (for Mollugo verticillata).
  • Not native to California, but introduced and naturalized.

Ecological Role

  • Mollugo verticillata is noted as a "rapidly spreading" weed, implying it can be invasive in certain environments.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Annual or perennial herbs, glabrous.
  • Stems diffuse, decumbent, or erect, branched or not.
  • Leaves basal or in whorls on the stems, glabrous, entire. Stipules small or 0, often caducous
  • Mollugo verticillata is an annual growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in).
  • Mollugo cerviana is an erect herb with glaucous, linear leaves in whorls. The stems are slender. The capsules are spherical, brown and finely reticulate.
  • Mollugo nudicaulis is an annual herb, up to c. 30 cm tall. Leaves numerous, in a basal rosette , oblanceolate to obovate, somewhat fleshy. Flowers 3-4 mm in diameter.

Interesting Characteristics

  • Mollugo verticillata possesses intermediate C3-C4 photosynthetic pathway characteristics, such as well-defined bundle-sheaths with numerous C4-like qualities.

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • Mentioned as a weed found in cultivated areas.

Common Names

  • Green Carpetweed (for Mollugo verticillata)
  • Indian Chickweed
  • Mollugine
  • Carpetweed
  • (Japanese common name) zakuro sou zakuro (for Mollugo pentaphylla)

Resources

  • The Plant List (mentioned as a source of taxonomic information)
  • The South African National Biodiversity Institute (mentioned in relation to observations).
  • Discover Life