Corchorus depressus
Corchorus depressus (Linn.) Stocks in Proc. Linn. Soc. 1:367. 1848. Christensen in Dansk. Bot. Arkiv 4(3):34. 1922; Tackholm, Stud. Fl. Egypt 232. 1956; Hutch. & Dalz., Fl. W. Trop. Afr. ed. 2. 1(2):308. 1958; Maheshwari, Fl. Delhi 88. 1963; Jafri, Fl. Kar. 215. 1966; Stewart, R.R., Ann. Cat. Vasc. Pl. W. Pak. & Kash. 472. 1972.
Synonyms:
Antichorus depressus L., in Mant. Pl. 1: 64 (1767).
Corchorus microphyllus Fresen.,in Mus. Senckenberg. 2: 156 (1837).
NE
A mat-forming, prostrate, much branched woody perennial. Stem diffusely branched from woody rootstock, young branches sparsely hairy, older ones glabrous. Leaves 3-costate, elliptic to broadly elliptic, 4-18 (-20) mm long, 2-9 (-10) mm broad, glabrous except the scattered hairy costae, plicate in bud, crenate-serrate, without basal setose appendages, obtuse; petiole 1.5-2.5 cm long, filiform, minutely hairy; stipules linear-falcate, c. 2 mm long. Cyme mostly 2(-1)-flowered, antiphyllous, peduncle minute. Flowers yellow, 6-8 mm across, pedicel c. 1 mm long; bracts linear-lanceolate, c. 1.5 mm long. Sepals yellowish-green, linear-oblong, 3-4 mm long, spreading, acute. Petals obovate-spathulate, as long as sepals, obtuse. Stamens 8-10, filaments c. 4 mm long, erect. Carpels 4; ovary c. 1 mm long, oblong-cylindric, 4-loculed; style equalling the ovary, stigma 4-lobed. Capsule oblong-cylindric, straight or curved, glabrescent, 7-22 mm long, with c. 1.5-2 mm long beak, 4-loculed, locules transversely septate. Seeds blackish-grey, c. 1.5 mm long, roughly triangular, obliquely truncate.
Saudi Arabia, S & S.W. Asia and N and tropical Africa an Cape Verde Islands. The Farasan Islands(Farasan Al-Kabir-Sajid-Dumsuk).
Flowering Period: February-November.