Taxon: Spermacoce confusa Rendle

Summary

Genus:

Spermacoce

Family:

Rubiaceae

Subfamily:

Rubioideae

Tribe:

Spermacoceae

Nomen number:

447644

Place of publication:

J. Bot. 74:12. 1936

Verified:

01/10/2005 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

0 (0 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System.

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

No images

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Andersson, L. 1992. A provisional checklist of neotropical Rubiaceae. Scripta Botanica 1. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle
Balick, M. J. et al. 2000. Checklist of the vascular plants of Belize, with common names and uses. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 85 Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle ex Gillis
Borhidi, A. 2006. Rubiáceas de México Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle
Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45 Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle ex Gillis
Burger, W. C., ed. 1971-. Flora costaricensis. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle ex Gillis
Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle
Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75 Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle ex Gillis
Liogier, H. A. 1981-. Flora of Hispaniola: Part 1; La Flora de la Española. Part II-. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle & Gillis
Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle & Gillis
Lorence, D. H. 1999. A nomenclator of Mexican and Central American Rubiaceae Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle
Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle
Stevens, W. D. et al., eds. 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85(1-3). Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle
Wiggins, I. L. & D. M. Porter. 1971. Flora of the Galapagos islands. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle

Common names

Language	Name	seq	Citation
English	iron-grass	1	Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle & Gillis
Spanish	hierba de Santa Clara	2	Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle
Spanish	taulmil	2	Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1946-1976. Flora of Guatemala. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle
Spanish	yerba de hierro	2	Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle & Gillis

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Baja California Sur
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Nuevo León
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	San Luis Potosí
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Sinaloa
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Sonora
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Tamaulipas
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Zacatecas
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Campeche
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Chiapas
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Guanajuato
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Guerrero
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Hidalgo
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Michoacán de Ocampo
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Morelos
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Oaxaca
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Puebla
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Querétaro
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Tabasco
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Anguilla			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Antigua and Barbuda			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Barbados			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Dominica			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Guadeloupe			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Martinique			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Montserrat			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	St. Kitts and Nevis	Saint Kitts		Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	St. Vincent and Grenadines			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	United States	Puerto Rico		Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle & Gillis
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	West Indies
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Belize			Balick, M. J. et al. 2000. Checklist of the vascular plants of Belize, with common names and uses. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 85 Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle ex Gillis
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Costa Rica			Burger, W. C., ed. 1971-. Flora costaricensis. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle ex Gillis
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	El Salvador
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Guatemala
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Honduras
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Nicaragua			Stevens, W. D. et al., eds. 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85(1-3). Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Panama
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Venezuela
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Bolivia
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Colombia
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador	Galápagos	incl. Galapagos Is.	Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75 Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle ex Gillis
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru			Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45 Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle ex Gillis

Native
Northern America

NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Baja California Sur, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas]
SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Campeche, Chiapas, Guanajuato, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Michoacán de Ocampo, Morelos, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, Tabasco, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave]

Southern America

CARIBBEAN: West Indies, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Guadeloupe, St. Kitts and Nevis [Saint Kitts], Montserrat, Martinique, United States [Puerto Rico], St. Vincent and Grenadines
CENTRAL AMERICA: Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador
NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Venezuela
WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador [Galápagos (incl. Galapagos Is.)], Peru

Reference(s)

Balick, M. J. et al. 2000. Checklist of the vascular plants of Belize, with common names and uses. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 85 Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle ex Gillis
Brako, L. & J. L. Zarucchi. 1993. Catalogue of the flowering plants and gymnosperms of Peru. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 45 Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle ex Gillis
Burger, W. C., ed. 1971-. Flora costaricensis. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle ex Gillis
Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle
Jørgensen, P. M. & S. León-Yánez, eds. 1999. Catalogue of the vascular plants of Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 75 Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle ex Gillis
Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands. Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle & Gillis
Stevens, W. D. et al., eds. 2001. Flora de Nicaragua. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 85(1-3). Note: lists as Spermacoce confusa Rendle

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=447644. Accessed 31 October 2026.