Taxon: Waltheria indica L.

Summary

Genus:

Waltheria

Family:

Malvaceae

Subfamily:

Byttnerioideae

Tribe:

Hermannieae

Nomen number:

447684

Place of publication:

Sp. pl. 2:673. 1753

Comment:

according to Shenzhen ICN Art. 11, Ex. 22, Brown (in Tuckey, Narr. Exped. Zaire: 484. 1818) was the first to unite Waltheria americana L. (1753) and W. indica L. (1753), and he adopted the name W. indica for the combined species, giving this name priority over the other.

Typification:

View in Linnean Typification Project

Verified:

01/18/2005 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

0 (0 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System.

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Heterotypic Synonym(s)
Waltheria americana L.

Images (2 total. Click on image for more.)

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. et al. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78:1-581.
Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Backer, C. A. & R. C. Bakhuizen van den Brink, Jr. 1963-1968. Flora of Java. Note: = Waltheria americana L.
Balick, M. J. et al. 2000. Checklist of the vascular plants of Belize, with common names and uses. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 85
Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2
Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
Camargo, L. A. G. 1970-. Catalogo ilustrado de las plantas de Cundinamarca (Colombia). Note: = Waltheria americana L.
Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959-. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae.
Correll, D. S. & H. B. Correll. 1982. Flora of the Bahama archipelago.
Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas
Cufodontis, G. 1953-1972. Enumeratio plantarum aethiopiae: Spermatophyta.
Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
Hansen, A. & P. Sunding. 1993. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 4. Sommerfeltia vol. 17.
Hnatiuk, R. J. 1990. Census of Australian vascular plants. Australian Flora and Fauna Series No. 11.
Hokche, O. et al. 2008. Nuevo catálogo de la flora vascular de Venezuela.
Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
Jardín Botánico Nacional. 1998-. Flora de la República de Cuba
Kearney, T. H. & R. H. Peebles. 1969. Arizona flora, ed. 2.
Keay, R. W. J. & F. N. Hepper. 1953-1972. Flora of west tropical Africa, ed. 2.
Liogier, H. A. 1981-. Flora of Hispaniola: Part 1; La Flora de la Española. Part II-.
Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands.
Marticorena, C. & M. Quezada. 1985. Catálogo de la flora vascular de Chile.
McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
Merrill, E. D. 1922-1926. An enumeration of Philippine flowering plants. Note: = Waltheria americana L.
Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
Proctor, G. R. 1984. Flora of the Cayman Islands. Kew Bulletin Additional Series XI.
Shreve, F. & I. L. Wiggins. 1964. Vegetation and flora of the Sonoran desert. Note: = Waltheria americana L.
Smith, A. C. 1979-1991. Flora vitiensis nova.
Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala. Note: = Waltheria americana L.
Stevens, W. D. et al., eds. 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85(1-3).
Steyermark, J. A. et al., eds. 1995-. Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana. Note: Missouri Botanical Garden & Timber Press
Thulin, M., ed. 1993-. Flora of Somalia.
Wagner, W. L. et al. 1990. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawai'i
Wiggins, I. L. 1980. Flora of Baja California. Note: = Waltheria americana L.
Woodson, R. E. & R. W. Schery, eds. 1943-1980. Flora of Panama.
Wunderlin, R. & B. Hansen. Atlas of Florida vascular plants (on-line resource).
Wunderlin, R. P. 1998. Guide to the vascular plants of Florida
Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.

Common names

Language	Name	note	seq	Citation
English	boaterbush		1	Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
English	buff-coat		1	Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
English	leather-coat		1	Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
English	monkeybush		1	Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
English	sleepy-morning		1	Wunderlin, R. P. 1998. Guide to the vascular plants of Florida
English	velvetleaf		1	Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
Spanish	basora prieta		2	Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands.
Spanish	escobillo blanco	as Waltheria americana	2	Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala. Note: = Waltheria americana L.
Spanish	guimauve		2	Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
Spanish	hierba del soldado		2	Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas
Spanish	malvavisco		2	Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands.
Spanish	mauve-gris		2	Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Baja California Sur		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Chihuahua		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Nuevo León		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	San Luis Potosí		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Sinaloa		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Sonora		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Tamaulipas		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	Texas	s.	Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Florida	s.	Wunderlin, R. & B. Hansen. Atlas of Florida vascular plants (on-line resource).
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Campeche		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Chiapas		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Colima		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Guerrero		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Jalisco		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Nayarit		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Oaxaca		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Quintana Roo		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Yucatán		McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
1	Native	Northern America	Southwestern U.S.A.	United States	Arizona	s.	Kearney, T. H. & R. H. Peebles. 1969. Arizona flora, ed. 2.
1	Native	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil			Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Antigua and Barbuda			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Bahamas			Correll, D. S. & H. B. Correll. 1982. Flora of the Bahama archipelago.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Barbados			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Cayman Islands			Proctor, G. R. 1984. Flora of the Cayman Islands. Kew Bulletin Additional Series XI.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Cuba			Jardín Botánico Nacional. 1998-. Flora de la República de Cuba
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Dominica			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Dominican Republic			Liogier, H. A. 1981-. Flora of Hispaniola: Part 1; La Flora de la Española. Part II-.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Grenada			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Guadeloupe			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Haiti			Liogier, H. A. 1981-. Flora of Hispaniola: Part 1; La Flora de la Española. Part II-.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Jamaica			Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Montserrat			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	United States	Puerto Rico		Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	United States	Virgin Islands, U.S.		Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. et al. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78:1-581.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Virgin Islands (British)			Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. et al. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78:1-581.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Belize			Balick, M. J. et al. 2000. Checklist of the vascular plants of Belize, with common names and uses. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 85
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Costa Rica			Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala. Note: = Waltheria americana L.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	El Salvador			Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala. Note: = Waltheria americana L.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Guatemala			Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala. Note: = Waltheria americana L.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Honduras			Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala. Note: = Waltheria americana L.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Nicaragua			Stevens, W. D. et al., eds. 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85(1-3).
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Panama			Woodson, R. E. & R. W. Schery, eds. 1943-1980. Flora of Panama.
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	French Guiana			Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Guyana			Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Suriname			Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Venezuela			Hokche, O. et al. 2008. Nuevo catálogo de la flora vascular de Venezuela.
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Argentina			Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Chile			Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.
1	Native	Southern America	Southern South America	Paraguay			Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Bolivia			Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Colombia			Camargo, L. A. G. 1970-. Catalogo ilustrado de las plantas de Cundinamarca (Colombia). Note: = Waltheria americana L.
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru			Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
4	Naturalized					widely natzd. in tropics & subtropics
6	Other					probable origin neotropics

Native
Northern America

SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Florida (s.)]
SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Texas (s.)]
SOUTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Arizona (s.)]
NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Chihuahua, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Baja California Sur]
SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Campeche, Chiapas, Colima, Guerrero, Jalisco, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, Yucatán]

Southern America

CARIBBEAN: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, United States [Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, U.S.], Virgin Islands (British)
CENTRAL AMERICA: Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador
NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela
BRAZIL: Brazil
WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Bolivia, Colombia, Peru
SOUTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Argentina, Chile, Paraguay

Naturalized (widely natzd. in tropics & subtropics)
Other (probable origin neotropics)

Reference(s)

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. et al. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78:1-581.
Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
Balick, M. J. et al. 2000. Checklist of the vascular plants of Belize, with common names and uses. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 85
Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2
Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45
Camargo, L. A. G. 1970-. Catalogo ilustrado de las plantas de Cundinamarca (Colombia). Note: = Waltheria americana L.
Correll, D. S. & H. B. Correll. 1982. Flora of the Bahama archipelago.
Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas
Hokche, O. et al. 2008. Nuevo catálogo de la flora vascular de Venezuela.
Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
Jardín Botánico Nacional. 1998-. Flora de la República de Cuba
Kearney, T. H. & R. H. Peebles. 1969. Arizona flora, ed. 2.
Liogier, H. A. 1981-. Flora of Hispaniola: Part 1; La Flora de la Española. Part II-.
Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands.
McVaugh, R. 1983-. Flora Novo-Galiciana.
Proctor, G. R. 1984. Flora of the Cayman Islands. Kew Bulletin Additional Series XI.
Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala. Note: = Waltheria americana L.
Stevens, W. D. et al., eds. 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85(1-3).
Woodson, R. E. & R. W. Schery, eds. 1943-1980. Flora of Panama.
Wunderlin, R. & B. Hansen. Atlas of Florida vascular plants (on-line resource).
Zuloaga, F. O. & O. Morrone, eds. 1996, 1999. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de la República Argentina. I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae y Angiospermae (Monocotyledonae), II. Dicotyledonae. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 60, 74.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Weed			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
Weed			Exell, A. W. et al., eds. 1960-. Flora zambesiaca.
Weed			Smith, A. C. 1979-1991. Flora vitiensis nova.

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=447684. Accessed 17 April 2026.