''Melochia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It comprises 54 species from the tropical and

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...

regions of the world, ranging from India eastwards through Malesia and the

Pacific Islands Collectively called the Pacific Islands, the islands in the Pacific Ocean are further categorized into three major island groups: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Depending on the context, the term ''Pacific Islands'' may refer to one of se ...

to the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

and the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

. Some taxonomy books have placed genus ''Melochia'' in family '' Sterculiaceae,'' but ''Sterculiaceae'' is now generally considered obsolete as a taxonomic class. The name "Melochia" comes from the Arabic name Mulukhiyah which in Arabic means mallow plants of the genus ''

Corchorus ''Corchorus'' is a genus of about 40–100 species of flowering plants in the family Malvaceae, native to tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world. Different common names are used in different contexts, with jute applying to the f ...

'' (including '' Corchorus olitorius'') which are cultivated as vegetables in Egypt (and elsewhere). The take-up of this Arabic ''Molokheya'' as a label for the ''Melochia'' mallow plants began with the Latin botanist

Prospero Alpini Prospero Alpini (also known as Prosper Alpinus, Prospero Alpinio and Latinized as Prosperus Alpinus) (23 November 15536 February 1617) was a Venetian physician and botanist. He travelled around Egypt and served as the fourth prefect in charge of ...

(died 1617), who spent several years in Egypt in the 1580s, and Alpini's name was soon adopted by the botanists Johann Bauhin (died 1613),

Caspar Bauhin Gaspard Bauhin or Caspar Bauhin ( la, Casparus Bauhinus; 17 January 1560 – 5 December 1624), was a Swiss botanist whose ''Pinax theatri botanici'' (1623) described thousands of plants and classified them in a manner that draws comparisons to t ...

(died 1624), and Johann Vesling (visited Egypt 1628; died 1649).L. Marcel Devic (year 1876)
''Dictionnaire étymologique des mots français d'origine orientale''
Helmut Genaust (year 1998),
Etymologisches Wörterbuch der botanischen Pflanzennamen
'. Prosperi Alpini (year 1592, republished year 1640
''De Plantis Aegypti'' (in Latin)

Selected species

* ''

Melochia arborea ''Melochia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It comprises 54 species from the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, ranging from India eastwards through Malesia and the Pacific Islands to the Americas and ...

'' * ''

Melochia caracasana ''Melochia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It comprises 54 species from the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, ranging from India eastwards through Malesia and the Pacific Islands to the Americas and ...

'' * ''

Melochia carrioni ''Melochia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It comprises 54 species from the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, ranging from India eastwards through Malesia and the Pacific Islands to the Americas and ...

'' * ''

Melochia chamaedrys ''Melochia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It comprises 54 species from the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, ranging from India eastwards through Malesia and the Pacific Islands to the Americas and ...

'' * ''

Melochia corchorifolia ''Melochia corchorifolia'', the chocolateweed, is a weedy tropical plant that is typically seen in the wastelands. It has been most frequently observed to grow in open areas, such as highways.Mohlenbrock, R. (1982) The Illustrated Flora of Illino ...

'' L. * ''

Melochia hermannioides ''Melochia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It comprises 54 species from the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, ranging from India eastwards through Malesia and the Pacific Islands to the Americas and ...

'' * ''

Melochia makateaensis ''Melochia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It comprises 54 species from the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, ranging from India eastwards through Malesia and the Pacific Islands to the Americas and ...

'' * ''

Melochia manducata ''Melochia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It comprises 54 species from the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, ranging from India eastwards through Malesia and the Pacific Islands to the Americas and ...

'' * ''

Melochia nodiflora ''Melochia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It comprises 54 species from the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, ranging from India eastwards through Malesia and the Pacific Islands to the Americas and ...

Sw. Olof Peter Swartz (21 September 1760 – 19 September 1818) was a Swedish botanist and taxonomist. He is best known for his taxonomic work and studies into pteridophytes. Biography Olof Swartz attended the University of Uppsala where he st ...

* ''

Melochia odorata ''Melochia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It comprises 54 species from the Tropics, tropical and Subtropics, subtropical regions of the world, ranging from India eastwards through Malesia and the Pacific Islands ...

'' * ''

Melochia parvifolia ''Melochia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It comprises 54 species from the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, ranging from India eastwards through Malesia and the Pacific Islands to the Americ ...

'' * '' Melochia pilosa'' * '' Melochia pyramidata'' L. * ''

Melochia spicata ''Melochia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It comprises 54 species from the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, ranging from India eastwards through Malesia and the Pacific Islands to the Americ ...

'' * '' Melochia tomentosa'' L. * ''

Melochia umbellata ''Melochia umbellata'' is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae. Its specific name (botany), specific epithet comes from the Latin ''umbellatus'' (umbel-like), referring to the inflorescence. Description ''Melochia umbe ...

'' ( Houtt.) Stapf * ''

Melochia villosa ''Melochia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It comprises 54 species from the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, ranging from India eastwards through Malesia and the Pacific Islands to the Americ ...

'' * '' Melochia vitiensis''

Formerly placed here

*''

Sida cordata Sida may refer to: * ''Sida'' (crustacean), a genus of cladoceran water fleas * ''Sida'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * SIDA, Security Identification Display Area, US FAA * Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, a Swedis ...

'' (Burm.f.) Borss.Waalk. (as ''M. cordata'' Burm.f.)

References

Notes

Byttnerioideae Malvaceae genera {{Byttnerioideae-stub