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Polycarpon tetraphyllum

(L.) L. (1759)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-CoreEudicot Order: Caryophyllales Family: Caryophyllaceae Genus: Polycarpon

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Glabrous annual, rarely biennial or perennial herbs.

Stems: Stems ascending to nearly prostrate, 4–10 cm long many branched, often swollen at the nodes.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Opposite or whorled with 4 leaves per node. Blades oblong to obovate, 5–10 mm long, 2–6 mm wide. Base leaf bases often connate around the stem. Margins entire. Pinnately veined. Petiolate. Stipules dry and membranous, narrowly lanceolate.

Flowers: Flowers numerous in short, congested cymes. Cymes subtended by scarious bracts. Internal nectary ring present, often subtended by a number of bracts. Flowers bisexual (perfect), actinomorphic. Calyx of 5 sepals, obovate to oblong, strongly keeled, 5–2 mm long, margins scarious, distinct, nearly distinct, or connate into a conspicuous tube. Corolla of 5 petals; petals oblanceolate, white, shorter than sepals, margins entire or emarginate; notched, cleft, or sometimes fibriate or divided, sometimes sharply differentiated into an expanded part and a basal claw, then often with 2 small outgrowths present at the juncture of the limb and claw. Stamens 3–5, distinct or adnate to petals at base to form a short tube, which may be adnate to the gynophore or sometimes adnate to lower part of calyx, petaloid staminodes sometimes present; anthers dithecal, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary superior.

Fruit: Capsules 3–valved; the valves twisting after dehiscence; ovoid 1.5 mm long. Seeds pale brown; translucent; several; somewhat angled 0.5 mm long; ovoid; usually ornamented on the surface; perisperm starchy; hard or rarely soft; true endosperm absent.

Ploidy: 2n = 32; 48; 54; 64

Habitat: Naturalized in usually dry; distributed sites.

Elevation Range: 0–2,860 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Naturalized
Kaho'olawe Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Notes

  • 0-2,860 m on all main islands except Ni'ihau and O'ahu
  • Description digitized by Mercedez
  • Description digitized from the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii
  • First collected on Maui in 1909

Bibliography

Name Published In: Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 881 (1759)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:506 (K, Mo, L, M, Ka, H)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Kalae on golf course fairways. Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 2364 Molokai BISH 1985-04-22
2 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Koele In eucalyptus grove Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 294 Lanai BISH 1917-09-01
3 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Lua Kealialalo, below, Central W part of island Small herb growing in areas of bare soil in open Prosopis pallida scrub, ground cover mostly Heteropogon contortus. Preserved_Specimen Cuddihy, L.W. 368 Kahoolawe BISH 1980-04-22
4 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Next main in drainage on Mauna Kea NW of Pohakuloa Gulch, Pohakuloa Military Camp open Myoporum-Sophora woodland with numerous exotic grasses and herbs Preserved_Specimen Wagner, W.L. 4675 Hawaii BISH 1982-11-17
5 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Waimea, Kahilu Road, about 700 m from the Mana Road. Moist, sunny, mowed roadside Preserved_Specimen Faccenda, K. 2319 Hawaii BISH 2022-03-05
6 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Kula, open pastures Preserved_Specimen Wilder, G.P. 444 Maui BISH 1926-01-02
7 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Kokee State Park In wet ground around foundation of Kokee Museum building. Preserved_Specimen Flynn, T.W. 1136 Kauai BISH 1985-06-26
8 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Waimea District: Kokee State Park, (by mile 13 of Highway 550) irrigation canal near Methodist camp Preserved_Specimen Lorence, D.H. 5523 Kauai BISH 1987-08-08
9 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Molokini Islet. A few tiny plants growing in deeper soil where grass is not thick. Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 1018 Maui BISH 1981-03-06
10 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Keawanui Bay rocky coast along windward side of island. Preserved_Specimen Wagner, W.L. 5712 Molokai BISH 1987-07-30
11 Polycarpon tetraphyllum North side of Puu O Kaiaka, Kepuhi, west shore of Molokai Annual herb growing between rocks, mostly in protected areas. Preserved_Specimen Nagata, K.M. 1853 Molokai BISH 1979-05-27
12 Polycarpon tetraphyllum 9 mi W of Naalehu Post Office on Hwy. 11 lava flow Preserved_Specimen Wagner, W.L. 5343 Hawaii BISH 1984-01-16
13 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Molokini Islet Uncommon on inner slope Preserved_Specimen Hobdy, R.W. 1238 Maui BISH 1982-02-14
14 Polycarpon tetraphyllum E central part of island, slope of Moaula Small herb growing in bare soil of eroded slope in Andropogon pertusus grassland. Preserved_Specimen Cuddihy, L.W. 432 Kahoolawe BISH 1980-04-25
15 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Hualalai Common weed growing with Dodonaea and Styphelia shrubs, Sophora trees, and various grasses. Preserved_Specimen Davis, J. 432 Hawaii BISH 1980-12-10
16 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Puu Laau, near hunter's cabin Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 5212 Hawaii BISH 1975-01-18
17 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Hale Pohaku, Mauna Kea Growing in open area below road bank. Preserved_Specimen Char, W.P. 85.017 Hawaii BISH 1985-05-27
18 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Hamakua Dist.; Pohakuloa Training Area, along Saddle Road Between the 30 & 45 mile markers & within 60' of road. Preserved_Specimen Funk, E.J. 25 Hawaii BISH 1990-12-13
19 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Parker Ranch, Puu Papapa dry pasture Preserved_Specimen Ewart III, G.R. 260 Hawaii BISH 1932-06-16
20 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Puu Keanahuehue, east of saddle Rd., South Kohala District Growing in disturbed cinder pit near base of hill. Preserved_Specimen Cuddihy, L.W. 927 Hawaii BISH 1981-11-12
21 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Lanai Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 287 Lanai BISH 1913-12-13
22 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Puu Hualalai, Kaupulehu crevices of dry lava on cane Preserved_Specimen St.John, H. 11437 Hawaii BISH 1931-12-30
23 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Waiakuilani gulch Metrosideros, Leptecophylla, Lipochaeta, Osteomeles anthyllidifolia, Nestegis sandwicensis, Spermolepis hawaiiensis, Nesoluma polynesicum, Pouteria sandwicensis, Coprosma foliosa, Melinis minutiflora, Anthoxanthum, Ageratina riparia Preserved_Specimen Perlman, S. 20430 Molokai BISH 2007-06-07
24 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Plot B Dry, open forest at Auwahi, s. slope of s,w, shoulder of Haleakala. Preserved_Specimen Herbst, D.R. 1981 Maui BISH 1971-07-09
25 Polycarpon tetraphyllum N Kona, NW Mauna Loa, Keauhou 2 dry manane, mixed native trees and shrubs, exotic grass Preserved_Specimen Warshauer, F.R. 2038 Hawaii BISH 1978-08-01
26 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Puuwaawaa, on transect T19 Overgrazed stand of dieback Sophora. With Geranium homeanum (5754), common among closely cropped grass. Preserved_Specimen Takeuchi, W.N. 5756 Hawaii BISH 1989-04-01
27 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Lanai Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 290 Lanai BISH 1913-12-13
28 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Wailuku Preserved_Specimen Faurie, A. 1212 Maui BISH 1909-08-01
29 Polycarpon tetraphyllum NW slope of Haleakala Massif. In garden of Mr. Weir Preserved_Specimen Iltis, H.H. 443 Maui BISH 1967-08-05
30 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Kalawao District, base of Kalaupapa Trail, rocky area close to beach Preserved_Specimen Wagner, W.L. 4939 Molokai BISH 1983-08-02
31 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Kahanui Gulch Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 774 Molokai BISH 1915-04-01
32 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Puuwaawaa; overgrazed stand of dieback Sophora Preserved_Specimen Takeuchi, W.N. 5756 Hawaii BISH 1989-04-01
33 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Molokini Islet Preserved_Specimen Starr, F. 6040510 Maui BISH 2006-04-05
34 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Hawaii Preserved_Specimen Rock, J.F.C. Hawaii BISH
35 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Hamakua District, Pohakuloa Training Area, along the Saddle Rd betw 30 mile and 45 mile markers, within 60 ft of the rd Preserved_Specimen Funk, E.J. 51 Hawaii BISH 1990-12-13
36 Polycarpon tetraphyllum East Maui, Hana District, Nuu AHU, Haleakala National Park, Kaupo Gap, W of Kaupo Village Trail Preserved_Specimen Higashino, P.K. 9013 Maui BISH 1980-05-27
37 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Koele Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 294 Lanai BISH 1917-09-01
38 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Huehue Preserved_Specimen Meebold, A. Hawaii BISH 1932-05-01
39 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Molokini Islet Preserved_Specimen Richardson, F. Maui BISH 1954-06-01
40 Polycarpon tetraphyllum East Maui, Makawao Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. Maui BISH 1910-08-01
41 Polycarpon tetraphyllum Between Laau Point and Papohaku Beach Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Molokai BISH 1982-05-18
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