Code
MIBJA
Growth form
Broad leaves
Biological cycle
perennial
Habitat
terrestrial
synonym | Jalapa officinalis Garsault [Invalid] |
synonym | Mirabilis ambigua Trautv. |
synonym | Mirabilis jalapa subsp. lindheimeri Standl. |
synonym | Mirabilis jalapa var. jalapa |
synonym | Mirabilis lindheimeri (Standl.) Shinners |
synonym | Mirabilis pedunculata Stokes |
synonym | Mirabilis planiflora Trautv. |
synonym | Mirabilis pubescens Zipp. ex Span. |
synonym | Mirabilis suaveolens Billb. ex Beurl. |
synonym | Mirabilis xalapa Noronha |
synonym | Nyctago hortensis Dum.Cours. [Illegitimate] |
synonym | Nyctago jalapae (L.) DC. |
synonym | Nyctago versicolor Salisb. [Illegitimate] |
Afrikaans |
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English |
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Français / French |
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Mirabilis jalapa is a tall herbaceous plant, reaching 30-70 cm in height, thick branches a little fleshy and swollen nodes, glabrous and regularly branched. The leaves are simple, opposite, ovate to acute apex, rounded or truncated base. The flowers are very delicate yellow or purple trumpet-shaped, long and narrow tube and expanded summit. They bloom at night and fade in the morning and then fall very quickly. The fruits are dry achenes, blach and globose, inserted at the base of the leaves.
Cotyledons long stalked (2-3 cm), with broader than long blade, almost rectangular of 18-22 mm long and 28-36 mm wide. The base is slightly cordate and the apex slightly truncated. It is trinerved at the base, light green to yellowish green, glabrous.
First leaves are simple opposite, borne on a petiole 2 to 3 cm long. The blade is almost triangular in shape, base slightly cordate, 3 to 4 cm long and 2-3 cm wide, rather strongly-veined, light green, glabrous.
Bushy herbaceous plant because of strong stems branching by 2 or 3.
Large tuberous roots.
Stem solid, square, fleshy, green to reddish, thickened at nodes.
Leaves simple, opposite supported by a stalk from 1 to 4 cm long, without stipule. The lamina is fleshy, soft enough, oval, base truncate, rounded or slightly cordate and acute apex from 4 to 12 cm long and 3-8 cm wide. The margin is entire, densely ciliated, hairs multicellular. Both sides are glabrous. The visible nerves are arched.
Contracted cyme from 1 to several flowers clustered in an involucre of bracts at the ends of branches.
The calyx, long 7 to 12 mm long is tubular and topped by 5 triangular lobes finely ciliate. The corolla consists of five petals united into a long narrow tube flaring widely at the end. It measures 4-5 cm long and 3-4 cm wide. It is pink, yellow, scarlet, purple or white. The 5-6 stamens of unequal size emerge largely the corolla tube. The style is even longer. The flowers are short-lived, they bloom at night, fade the next morning and the corolla falls off very quickly.
Achene, subglobose to ellipsoidal from 6 to 8 mm long, green to black when mature, with 5-10 longitudinal ribs, mute between the ribs.
Attributions | dummy |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY_SA |
References |
Mayotte: Mirabilis jalapa flowers and fruits all year round.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Attributions | dummy |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY_SA |
References |
Comoros: Mirabilis jalapa is a horticultural plant maintained in gardens for its ornamental value.
Madagascar: subspontaneous and ruderal species invading abandoned places, roadsides, embankments.
Mauritius: Species naturalized on the island and in Rodrigues, frequently grows in vacant lots, especially in coastal areas.
Mayotte: Mirabilis jalapa is an exotic species, sometimes cultivated for ornamental purposes and which naturalizes in the degraded environments of the hygrophilic region, in particular in ditches and villages.
Reunion: Initially ornamental species that has naturalized in Reunion on the west coast, between 400 and 700 meters, and South, from 0-700 m altitude. Nitrophilous species favored by nitrogen inputs.
Seychelles: Species rare, mostly ornamental.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Attributions | dummy |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY_SA |
References |
Local harmfulness
Comoros: Mirabilis jalapa is not yet observed in crops; no harmfulness in the crop fields was observed.
Madagascar: Species rarely seen in cultures.
Mauritius: The plant is not a problem for crops.
Reunion: ruderal species of areas of rubble and road and relatively common weed of sugarcane to the West and South coasts of the island at medium altitude. Its high production of seed and rapid growth allow it to achieve recovery levels of 30 to 50% in sugarcane fields.
Seychelles: absent species of crops.
South Africa: Mirabilis jalapa is considered a minor environmental weed or "dormant weed". It is able to withstand prolonged drought thanks to its tuberous roots. It has the potential to compete with native vegetation.
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Attributions | Wiktrop |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Herbarium pictures ReCOLNAT: https://explore.recolnat.org/search/botanique/simplequery=Mirabilis%2520jalapa
Attributions | |
Contributors | |
Status | UNDER_CREATION |
Licenses | CC_BY |
References |
Root | Root |
Kingdom | Plantae |
Phylum | Tracheophyta |
Class | Magnoliopsida |
Order | Caryophyllales |
Family | Nyctaginaceae |
Genus | Mirabilis |
Species | Mirabilis jalapa L. |