Waltheria bahamensis

Waltheria bahamensis Britton

Common Names: Bahama Waltheria

Family: Sterculiaceae

Habit: Waltheria bahamensis grows as a herbaceous perennial to 75 cm in height that becomes woody with age at the base.  The leaves are arranged alternately, oblong,  to 4 cm in length with a dentate/serrate margin.  The leaves are a dark bronze color and have ad- and abaxial stellate pubescence.

The complete, perfect, actinomorphic flowers are sessile in dense clusters in leaf axils. There are 5, hairy fused sepals in the calyx.  There are 5 bright yellow, unfused petals in the corolla.  There are 5 fused stamens forming a tube.  The ovary is superior, hairy, with a single locule and 2 or more seeds.  The fruit is a follicle.

Habitat: Waltheria bahamensis grows in Pine woodlands as well as a variety of Human Altered environments such as abandoned fields, roadsides, and old houses.  It occasionally occurs along the edges of Dry Broadleaf Evergreen – Formation – Shrublands (Scrublands) and in beach strands.

Distribution: Waltheria bahamensis is endemic to the Lucayan Archipelago.  It is known to occur on Abaco, Andros, Berry’s, Cat, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama, and New Providence islands.

Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Waltheria bahamensis is not known to be used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago.