''Spermacoce'' or false buttonweed is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It comprises about 275 species found throughout the tropics and subtropics. Its highest diversity is found in 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 ...

, followed by Africa,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and Asia.

Description

The species are herbs or small shrubs with small- to medium-sized, four-lobed flowers arranged in capitate inflorescences. Some have a brightly coloured

calyx Calyx or calyce (plural "calyces"), from the Latin ''calix'' which itself comes from the Ancient Greek ''κάλυξ'' (''kálux'') meaning "husk" or "pod", may refer to: Biology * Calyx (anatomy), collective name for several cup-like structures ...

and are eye-catching, particularly the Australian species. The corolla is variable in colour, often white, but also all shades of blue, pink and maroon. The fruit is usually a two-seeded capsule, sometimes a schizocarp or nut.

Selected species

''Spermacoce'' is a highly diverse genus with about 275 species in many tropical and subtropical places around the globe.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> North American species include:Biota of North America Program
/ref> *''

Spermacoce alata ''Spermacoce alata'', the winged false buttonweed, is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae. It is widespread across the warmer parts of the Western Hemisphere and naturalized in many other parts of the world. Description ''Spermacoce alata'' is a ...

'' Aubl. - West Indies, most of Latin America; naturalized in Africa, India,

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, Southeast Asia,

, Melanesia *''

Spermacoce assurgens ''Spermacoce remota'', the woodland false buttonweed, is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States (Texas, Florida, Georgia, Alabama), West Indies (Bermuda, Bahamas, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, the Cayman Is ...

'' Ruiz & Pav. - synonym of ''Spermacoce remota'' *''

Spermacoce brachysepala ''Spermacoce brachysepala'', the West Indian false buttonweed, is a plant species in the Rubiaceae. It is native to Puerto Rico, Haiti and the Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country locat ...

'' (Urb.) Alain in H.A.Liogier & L.F.Martorell - West Indian false buttonweed - Puerto Rico,

Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...

, Dominican Republic *''

Spermacoce capitata ''Spermacoce'' or false buttonweed is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It comprises about 275 species found throughout the tropics and subtropics. Its highest diversity is found in the Americas, followed by Africa, Australia a ...

'' Ruiz & Pav. - baldhead false buttonweed -

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

and South America from Belize to Argentina *''

Spermacoce confusa ''Spermacoce'' or false buttonweed is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It comprises about 275 species found throughout the tropics and subtropics. Its highest diversity is found in the Americas, followed by Africa, Australia a ...

'' Rendle - river false buttonweed - Florida, West Indies, Latin America from Mexico to Argentina *''

Spermacoce densiflora ''Spermacoce'' or false buttonweed is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It comprises about 275 species found throughout the tropics and subtropics. Its highest diversity is found in the Americas, followed by Africa, Australia a ...

'' (DC.) Alain - bouquet false buttonweed - Florida, West Indies, Latin America from Mexico to Argentina *''

Spermacoce ernestii ''Spermacoce ovalifolia'', the broadleaf false buttonweed, is a species of plants in the Rubiaceae. It is native to Mexico, Central America, parts of the Caribbean (Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Trinidad, and the Windward Islands), and South America ...

'' Fosberg & Powell - synonym of ''Spermacoce ovalifolia'' *''

Spermacoce eryngioides ''Spermacoce'' or false buttonweed is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It comprises about 275 species found throughout the tropics and subtropics. Its highest diversity is found in the Americas, followed by Africa, Austra ...

'' (Cham. & Schltdl.) Kuntze - whorled-leaf false buttonweed - West Indies including Puerto Rico; southeastern South America from

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

and Brazil to Argentina *''

Spermacoce exilis ''Spermacoce'' or false buttonweed is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It comprises about 275 species found throughout the tropics and subtropics. Its highest diversity is found in the Americas, followed by Africa, Australia ...

'' (L.O. Williams) C. Adams - Pacific false buttonweed - Latin America from Mexico to Argentina, plus West Indies; naturalized in Africa,

, India, southeast Asia and some tropical oceanic islands *''

Spermacoce floridana ''Spermacoce keyensis'', the Florida false buttonweed, is a species of plants in the family Rubiaceae, first discovered in the Florida Keys. It is found in southern Florida, Bahamas, and the extreme southern tip of Texas Texas (, ; Spani ...

'' Urb. - synonym of ''Spermacoce keyensis '' *''

Spermacoce glabra ''Spermacoce glabra'', smooth false buttonweed, is a New World species of plants in the coffee family. The species is widespread across much of North America and South America. In the United States, it is found in the southern part of the Missi ...

'' Michx. - smooth false buttonweed - southern and eastern United States (mostly in the Lower Mississippi Valley); also South America *''

Spermacoce keyensis ''Spermacoce keyensis'', the Florida false buttonweed, is a species of plants in the family Rubiaceae, first discovered in the Florida Keys. It is found in southern Florida, Bahamas, and the extreme southern tip of Texas Texas (, ; Spani ...

'' Urb. - Florida false buttonweed - southern Florida, Bahamas, southern tip of Texas ( Cameron County) *''

Spermacoce latifolia ''Spermacoce alata'', the winged false buttonweed, is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae. It is widespread across the warmer parts of the Western Hemisphere and naturalized in many other parts of the world. Description ''Spermacoce alata'' is ...

'' Aubl. - synonym of ''Spermacoce alata'' *''

Spermacoce neoterminalis ''Spermacoce neoterminalis'', the Everglades Key false buttonweed, is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae. It is endemic to southern Florida, from the Everglades as far north as Lake Okeechobee Lake Okeechobee (), also known as Florida's Inlan ...

'' Govaerts - Everglades false buttonweed- southern Florida *''

Spermacoce ovalifolia ''Spermacoce ovalifolia'', the broadleaf false buttonweed, is a species of plants in the Rubiaceae. It is native to Mexico, Central America, parts of the Caribbean (Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, Trinidad, and the Windward Islands), and South America ...

'' (M. Martens & Galeotti) Hemsl. - broadleaf false buttonweed - West Indies including Puerto Rico, Latin America from Mexico to Paraguay *''

Spermacoce ocymoides ''Spermacoce ocymoides'' is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae The Rubiaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that are recog ...

'' Burm.f. *''

Spermacoce prostrata ''Spermacoce prostrata'' (prostrate false buttonweed) is a species of plants in the Rubiaceae. In the United States, it is widespread in Florida, with a few isolated populations in Alabama and Mississippi. The species is native to Mexico, Central ...

'' Aubl. - prostrate false buttonweed - Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, West Indies including Puerto Rico; most of Latin America; naturalized in

, Vietnam,

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

and Java *''

Spermacoce remota ''Spermacoce remota'', the woodland false buttonweed, is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States (Texas, Florida, Georgia, Alabama), West Indies (Bermuda, Bahamas, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, the Cayman ...

'' - Lam. - woodland false buttonweed - Florida, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, West Indies, much of Latin America; naturalized in Southeast Asia,

, India, New Guinea, Mauritius and many oceanic islands (including Hawaii) *'' Spermacoce sintenisii'' (Urb.) Alain - synonym of ''Spermacoce brachysepala'' *'' Spermacoce tenuior'' L. - slender false buttonweed - Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, West Indies; Latin America from Mexico to

; naturalized in Tanzania, Java,

Sulawesi Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...

and Galápagos *''

Spermacoce terminalis ''Spermacoce neoterminalis'', the Everglades Key false buttonweed, is a species of plant in the Rubiaceae. It is endemic to southern Florida, from the Everglades The Everglades is a natural region of tropical climate, tropical wetlands i ...

'' (Small) Kartesz & Gandhi - synonym of ''Spermacoce neoterminalis'' *''

Spermacoce tetraquetra ''Spermacoce'' or false buttonweed is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It comprises about 275 species found throughout the tropics and subtropics. Its highest diversity is found in the Americas, followed by Africa, Australia a ...

'' A. Rich. - pineland false buttonweed - Florida, West Indies, Mexico, Central America *''

Spermacoce verticillata ''Spermacoce verticillata'', the shrubby false buttonweed, is a species of plant in the family Rubiaceae. See also *'' Larra bicolor'' References verticillata {{Rubioideae-stub ...

'' L. - shrubby false buttonweed - Florida, West Indies, most of Latin America; naturalized in Africa,

, assorted oceanic islands

References

External links

World Checklist of RubiaceaeThe Spermacoce of AustraliaFlora of China, v 19 p 325, 丰花草属 feng hua cao shu, Spermacoce

Gallery

File:Spermacoce articularis (S hispida- Madanghanti) in Hyderabad, AP W2 IMG 9064.jpg, ''

Spermacoce articularis ''Spermacoce'' or false buttonweed is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It comprises about 275 species found throughout the tropics and subtropics. Its highest diversity is found in the Americas, followed by Africa, Australia ...

'' in Hyderabad, India File:Spermacoce terminalis.jpg, ''

'' File:Spermacoce ocymoides W IMG 2966.jpg, ''

'' at Ananthagiri Hills, in Rangareddy district of Andhra Pradesh, India. Image:Spermacoce pusilla (Tiny False Buttonweed) in Hyderabad, AP W IMG 0005.jpg, ''

Spermacoce pusilla ''Spermacoce'' or false buttonweed is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It comprises about 275 species found throughout the tropics and subtropics. Its highest diversity is found in the Americas, followed by Africa, Australia ...

'' in Hyderabad, India. {{Taxonbar, from=Q3314456 Rubiaceae genera