Spermacoce facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Spermacoce
Spermacoce ocymoides
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Gentianales
Family:	Rubiaceae
Subfamily:	Rubioideae
Tribe:	Spermacoceae
Genus:	Spermacoce L.
Type species
Spermacoce tenuior L.

Spermacoce, also known as false buttonweed, is a group of about 275 different kinds of flowering plants. These plants belong to the family called Rubiaceae. You can find them all over the world in warm, tropical, and subtropical areas.

The largest number of Spermacoce species are found in the Americas. You can also find many types in Africa, Australia, and Asia.

What Spermacoce Plants Look Like

Spermacoce plants are usually small herbs or shrubs. They have small to medium-sized flowers. Each flower has four parts, like petals, and they grow in round clusters. These clusters are called capitate inflorescences.

Some of these plants have bright, colorful parts around their flowers called a calyx. These can be very pretty, especially the ones found in Australia. The main part of the flower, called the corolla, can be many colors. It is often white, but can also be blue, pink, or even a deep red.

After the flowers bloom, the plant produces a fruit. This fruit usually has two seeds inside. Sometimes, the fruit is a schizocarp, which means it splits into single-seeded parts. Other times, it's a small nut.

Many Types of Spermacoce

The Spermacoce group is very diverse, with about 275 different species. They grow in many tropical and subtropical places around the world. For example, in North America, you can find species like:

• Spermacoce alata: This plant is found in the West Indies and most of Latin America. It has also spread to places like Africa, India, and Australia.
• Spermacoce glabra: This one is known as the smooth false buttonweed. It grows in the southern and eastern United States, especially near the Mississippi River. You can also find it in South America.
• Spermacoce keyensis: This species is found in southern Florida, the Bahamas, and a small part of Texas.
• Spermacoce verticillata: This is called the shrubby false buttonweed. It grows in Florida, the West Indies, and most of Latin America. It has also spread to Africa and Australia.

• Spermacoce in West African plants – A Photo Guide.

Gallery

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  Spermacoce articularis in Hyderabad, India

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  Spermacoce terminalis

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  Spermacoce ocymoides at Ananthagiri Hills, in Rangareddy district of Andhra Pradesh, India.

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  Spermacoce pusilla in Hyderabad, India.

See also

In Spanish: Spermacoce para niños