Malesherbia humilis
Malesherbia humilis is an annual flowering herb in the passionflower family that grows in the subtropics of northern and central Chile, extending into Argentina. It was first described in 1829 as a shaggy, low-growing plant with lunate leaves and pale blue, stalked flowers. While its name has changed a few times, it remains in the genus Malesherbia.
Today there are three accepted varieties:
- M. humilis var. humilis: the most widespread, from northern Chile to Argentina.
- M. humilis var. parviflora: smaller leaves and flowers; found in coastal regions and river basins in Tarapacá, Antofagasta, Atacama, and Coquimbo.
- M. humilis var. propinqua: larger leaves and flowers; found inland in semidesert hills in the Coquimbo region.
Distribution and habitat: Plants have been found from Santiago to Guatacondo in Chile, with some records in Neuquén Province, Argentina. They usually grow in rocky, arid soils, mostly below 1000 meters in elevation, though some occur up to 2900 meters.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:16 (CET).