10 
Card. Bull. Singapore 69(1) 2017 
The surface pattern of the seed is consistent in all species, that is, it is either 
papillate or canaliculate (Fig. 3/Table 2). All Microchirita seeds have bumps or knobs 
within a thick square (up to 10 bumps), except M. viola which does not form squares 
and the bumps are arranged continuously in lines, while M. sericea forms weak 
squares. This character is useful for distinguishing between species. 
Taxonomic treatment 
Microchirita (C.B.Clarke) Yin Z.Wang, J. Syst. Evol. 49: 59 (2011); Weber et al., 
Taxon 60: 778 (2011). - Chirita sect. Microchirita C.B.Clarke in A.DC. & C.DC., 
Monogr. Phan. 5(1): 127 (1883); Wood, Notes Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh 33: 134 
(1974). - Roettlera sect. Microchirita (C.B.Clarke) Fritsch in Engl. & Prant, Nat. 
Pflanzenfam. 4(3B): 148 (1895). - Didymocarpus sect. Microchirita (C.B.Clarke) 
Chun, Sunyatsenia 6: 290 (1946). - TYPE: Microchirita hamosa (R.Br.) Yin Z.Wang, 
lectotype designated by Burtt (1954). 
Short-lived or rarely perennial, caulescent (erect or creeping) herbaceous plants; stem 
branched or unbranched, sometimes slightly woody, often fleshy, indumentum of 
white or silvery soft, glandular hairs. Leaves opposite, whorled or decussate; petiole 
long or short, winged or not; lamina variable in shape, ranging from narrowly elliptic 
to ovate, base sometimes unequal, margin entire or serrate. Inflorescences axillary, 
epiphyllous, crested or cymose, one- to many-flowered; bracts free, cup-shaped, leaf¬ 
like or caducous. Flowers : calyx pentamerous, free to base, appressed in the fruit; 
corolla bilaterally symmetrical, tubular to broadly funnel-shaped with 5 lobes, upper 
lip 2-lobed, lower lip 3-lobed, lobes rounded; stamens 2, filaments adnate to the 
corolla, anthers fused either apically or joined by a ligature, rarely free, anther-thecae 
divergent, staminodes 2 or very rarely 3; nectary rim entire, cleft or lobed; carpels 
two, rarely with one carpel sterile, style one, straight, stigma bilobed. Fruit a slender 
capsule, plagiocarpic, dehiscence on both sides. Seeds numerous, tiny. 
Distribution. Approximately 28 species in India (Western Ghats and NE India), 
China, Indo-China, Myanmar, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo (Sarawak) and 
Indonesia (Java, Sumatra, Bali, and Sumba) with centre of diversity in Thailand. In 
Malaysia, six species are recorded. 
Habitat and ecology. In Peninsular Malaysia restricted to limestone hills. In wet, light 
to moderately shady places at cliff bases, on cliff walls in crevices and cracks, or at 
cave entrances. 
