Fauna
Flower

Tropical Girdlepod

Mitracarpus hirtus

Also known as White Girdlepod, Rough Girdlepod

Tropical girdlepod is a pioneer annual herb characterized by four-angled, bristly stems and compact spherical clusters of tiny white flowers nestled tightly at the leaf axils. Its distinctive name refers to the tiny seed capsule, which splits open horizontally along an equatorial seam like a hinged lid to release seeds. Thriving in open, sunbaked ground, this resilient colonizer spreads rapidly along trails, roadsides, and cultivated ground throughout the global tropics.

Annual HerbPioneer PlantTropical
Tropical Girdlepod reference1 / 7
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyAutotrophic (photosynthetic)
Predators
  • Grazing cattle
  • Herbivorous insects
  • Goats
ThreatsHerbicide application, intensive tilling, and mechanical weeding
HabitatsDisturbed roadsides, agricultural fields, open savannas, dry pastures, and waste ground
Life span1 year (annual)
Classification
  1. OrderGentianales
  2. FamilyRubiaceae
  3. GenusMitracarpus
  4. SpeciesMitracarpus hirtus
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Fruit inspection: Use a hand lens to view the capsule splitting horizontally like a tiny cup.
  • Stem identification: Feel the square, hairy stems to distinguish it from smooth look-alikes.
  • Habitat spotting: Search sunlit track edges and sandy soil patches after seasonal rains.
Related species
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