Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Account for Chocolate-weed - Melochia corchorifolia   L.
Members of Malvaceae:
Only member of Melochia in NC.
Google Images
Section 6 » Order Malvales » Family Malvaceae
Show/Hide Synonym
AuthorL.
DistributionCollected in 3 counties: Bladen (1957), Duplin (1957), and Columbus (2019); collected from Robeson (2021) but specimen not yet accessed.

Native of Australasia; in N.A. NC to FL, TX, and AR.
AbundanceVery rare. The Bladen population was "abundant" in 1957.
HabitatField, cropland.
PhenologyFlowering and fruiting August-October.
IdentificationChocolate-weed is an annual or perennial, sub-shrub or shrub up to 6 feet tall. The leaf blades are ovate to lance-shaped, 1-4 inches long, bluntly toothed. The flowers grow in terminal cyme-like groups of 10-25, the short petals purple to pink with a yellow base.
Taxonomic Comments
Other Common Name(s)
State RankSE
Global RankGNR
State Status
US Status
USACE-agcpFAC link
USACE-empFAC link
County Map - click on a county to view source of record.
Select a source
AllHerbaria
Individual
Select an occurrence type
AllCollection_non_naturalOther_non_natural