Shrubs, sometimes trees; young stems, leaf surfaces, pedicels, and calyces densely puberulent, some hairs on herbage glandular; older stems with exfoliating bark. Leaves mostly crowded toward ends of twigs (older ones soon falling); blade narrowly oblanceolate, base tapering, apex obtuse to acute. Inflorescences usually scarcely exserted beyond leaves. Flowers: sepals persistent, narrowly ovate, apex short-acuminate; petals mostly fallen by midday, spreading, yellow, elliptic-obovate, base tapering to claw, apex rounded, erose-dentate; stamens: outer whorl fertile, filaments proximally pilose, inner whorl sterile, less than 1/2 as long as fertile, pilose throughout; anthers rudimentary or none; pistils short-stipitate, pilose; style slender, glabrous, much longer than ovaries. Fruits brown, round, becoming dry, achenelike.

Distribution

Florida, Mexico, West Indies, Bermuda, Central America, South America, Asia, Africa, Indian Ocean Islands, Pacific Islands, Australia.

Discussion

Species 1.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Suriana maritima