Phil Bendle Collection:Heterocentron elegans (Spanish Shawl)

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Myrtenordningen
Family: Melastomataceae
Genus: Heterocentron
Species: H. elegans
Binomial name: Heterocentron elegans
Synonyms: Centradenia floribunda, Schizocentron elegans, Rhexia elegans, Monochaetum guatemalense, Heeria elegans
Common name: Spanish Shawl

Heterocentron elegans is a tropical perennial subshrub native to the montane regions of Central America. It is a sprawling plant with small, dark green, oblong leaves with varying amounts of tiny hairs. It has a bright magenta or purple-pink, four-petalled flowers. It grows to a height of 5cm and has an indefinite spread.

In New Zealand, Heterocentron elegans is listed in the in the Global Compendium of Weeds, as a casual alien, naturalised weed.

The photos below are of it growing roadside bank in New Plymouth.
[1]

Growing in full sunshine
[2]

Growing on a vertical bank in the shade.
[3]

[4]

Closed flower with its distinctive spiky receptacle.
[5]  

 

Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ 

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