Pavonia arabica Hochst. ex Steud.

Eastern desert.

Egypt, Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Arabia, Pakistan, northwest India.

It occurs in Sindh and Baluchistan in Pakistan.

Undershrub, up to 30 cm tall, stellate pubescent, usually intermingled with simple, spreading hairs. Leaves oblong or oblong-ovate, 1-4.5 cm long, 0.7-3.5 cm broad, entire or dentate towards apex, obtuse or apiculate, rounded or truncate at base, stellate pubescent on both sides, scabrulous; stipule filiform, 3-4 mm long; petiole 0.7-2 cm long. Flowers axillary, solitary; pedicel 1.5-2.5 cm long, jointed near the apex, stellate pubescent mixed with simple, spreading hairs; epicalyx segments 10-12, 1-1.5 cm long, linear, stellate pubescent and with long, simple, spreading hairs. Calyx 5-7 mm long, fused below the middle or sometimes to the middle, stellate tomentose, nerved; lobes lanceolate, acute. Corolla 1-1.5 cm across, pink; petals c. 1 cm long, 0.7 cm broad, obovate, rounded, claw hairy on the margin. Staminal tube c.6 mm long, included, glabrous, filament present near the apex and at the base of tube, upper ones 1-2 mm long, lower ones 5-6 mm long. Fruit nearly globose, ± 7 mm across, vinous; mericarps, 5,4 mm long, dorsally 3-4 mm broad, radially 2 mm broad, wingless or shortly winged. Seed 1 in each mericarp, dark brown, 2 mm long, 1.5 mm broad.

Distribution: India, Pakistan, Arabia and Ethiopia.