Description: Caesarweed is classified as a "noxious" weed. It's often found growing along roadsides and disturbed areas. As you can tell, it's a member of the mallow family. Although used as a famine food in some countries, even Eat The Weeds describes it as barely edible. The seeds are 5-10mm burrs covered with hooked spines that stick to clothing but do not hurt. Caesarweed was imported to Florida in the 19th century as a cordage crop and produces strong fibers. It has a wide array of medicinal uses including broad spectrum antibacterial and anti-fungal activity, reducing fevers and lowering blood pressure. This is another plant with extrafloral nectaries that attract and reward insects, particularly ants. The above plant was a virtual city of happy, busy little creatures! An interesting weed indeed. www.eattheweeds.com/caesar-weed-sampler/. Date: 28 September 2012, 09:27. Source: Caesarweed (Urena lobata) Uploaded by Jacopo Werther. Author: Bob Peterson from North Palm Beach, Florida, Planet Earth!. Camera location26° 52′ 43.11″ N, 80° 03′ 49.64″ WView all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap 26.878641; -80.063788.
Family: MalvaceaeDistribution: Found in road sides and forest clearings of India.2m tall perennial tomentose herb.Leaves lobed, one large gland is on the midrib. Flowers axillary, 1-1.5cm across, pedicel short or sessile. involucral bracts 5, adnate to the calyx tube. calyx 5, connate below into a tube. Petals 5, united below to the staminal tube. pink with dark pinkcolored throat,Stamens united into a tube, anthers are produced below the apex,sessile or short filamented, ovary 5 celled, stigmas 10, short, capitate. Ripe carpels covered with glochidiate spines.The plant yeilds fibre. Photographed at Nellore.
Summary[edit] Description: Malvaceae (mallow family) » Urena lobata ur-REE-nuh -- from Indian (Malabar) name uren for plants of this genus low-BAH-tuh -- lobed, referring to shapes like the ear lobe commonly known as: burr mallow, caesarweed, Congo jute, hibiscus burr, pink burr, pink Chinese burr, urena burr • Bengali: okhra • Hindi: bachita, gataya, लपेटवां lapetua, unga • Kannada: ಒತ್ತೆ otte unsure of word in Kannada • Konkani: tupkate • Malayalam: ഒട്ടൊട്ടി ottotti, ഉറം uram • Manipuri: সমপাকপী sampakpi • Marathi: वन भेंडी van bhendi, जंगलीकापशी junglikapashi • Nepalese: नालु कुरों nalu kuro • Sanskrit: अतिबल atibala, बल bala • Tamil: செடிவகை chetivakai, ஒட்டுத்துத்தி ottuttutti • Telugu: నల్ల బెండ nalla benda, పెడ్డబెండ peddabhenda Distribution: pantropical; probably of Asiatic origin References: Flowers of India • PIER species info. Date: 28 December 2014, 08:34. Source: tupkate (in Konkani). Author: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India. Camera location13° 29′ 45.87″ N, 75° 04′ 49.97″ EView all coordinates using: OpenStreetMap 13.496075; 75.080547.