Aciotis

Scientific name

Aciotis D. Don

Family

Melastomataceae

Similar genera

Acmella, Bidens, Hemigraphis, Hyptis, Pilea, Sphagneticola

Native distribution

Neotropical; restricted to tropical America, southern Mexico and the Lesser Antilles to central Bolivia and southeastern Brazil

Species cultivated

Aciotis acuminifolia (Mart. ex DC.) Triana is mainly available through hobbyists and rarely commercially available.

Adventive distribution

none

Weed status

not weedy

Habit

amphibious amphibious:
(adj) of a plant able to live on land or in water
herbs to subshrubs

Brief description

Annual or perennialperennial:
(adj) (of a plant) having a life cycle of more than two years
; typically stoloniferous. Stems ± square, sometimes with conspicuous wings; glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
or with glandular trichomes. Leaves oppositeopposite:
(adj) (of leaves) two leaves per node; in pairs on opposite sides of an axis
, decussatedecussate:
(adj) arranged along stem in pairs, with each pair at right angles to the pairs above and below
, petiolatepetiolate:
(adj) relating to or in the form of a petiole; bearing petioles
; leaf bladeblade:
(n) (syn. lamina) the flat, expanded part of a leaf, frond, or petal (excluding, e.g., the petiole)
ovate to ellipticelliptical:
(adj) in the form of an ellipse (oval)
or oblongoblong:
(adj) two to four times longer than wide, with +/- parallel sides
; apexapex:
(n) the point farthest from the point of attachment; the tip (often pointed)
acuminateacuminate:
(adj) tapering gradually to a point and forming more or less concave sides
to obtuseobtuse:
(adj) with a blunt or rounded apex and sides coming together at an angle of more than 90 degrees
; base attenuateattenuate:
(adj) narrowing gradually to a point
to cordatecordate:
(adj) heart-shaped; in the form of two rounded lobes
; marginmargin:
(n) edge; rim
serrulate; venationvenation:
(n) the arrangement of veins in a leaf
parallel with 3-7 main laterallateral:
(adj) on or pertaining to the side of an organ or structure
veins. Inflorescense a cymecyme:
(n) a determinate, usually flat-topped or convex inflorescence in which the terminal flower blooms earliest
, paniclepanicle:
(n) an indeterminate, branched (often much-branched) inflorescence; the ultimate units may be of a different inflorescence type
, or thyrsethyrse:
(n) inflorescence in which the main axis is racemose and the secondary axes are cymose
. Flowers actinomorphicactinomorphic:
(adj) of flowers, having radial symmetry; capable of being bisected into identifical halves along more than one axis
; sepals 4, apically free and basally connateconnate:
(adj) of plant parts congenitally united into a single structure
; petals 4, free, white to pinkish, terminalterminal:
(adj) at the apex
glandular trichometrichome:
(n) an epidermal outgrowth such as a hair or scale
often present. Stamens 8, anthers white to purple.

Natural habitat

disturbed habitats, wetlands, creeks, and swamps; less often in primary forests or dry sandy areas

Additional comments

A genus of about 15 species. Vegetativevegetative:
(adj) (1) pertaining to or to the growth of plant organs or plant parts that have nonreproductive functions, such as leaves, roots, stems, etc.; (2) concering non sexual propagules such as tubers, turions, stem fragments, root crowns, rhizomes
portions of submersedsubmersed:
see submerged
specimens are glabrousglabrous:
(adj) without hairs or scales
.