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Laportea aestuans

(L.) Chew (1965)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Rosales Family: Urticaceae Genus: Laportea

West Indian wood nettle

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Herbs annual, to 1.3 m tall.

Stems: Stems erect, few-branched, upper stems and petioles densely armed with stinging hairs and long gland-tipped hairs.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades broadly ovate, 8-17 × 6-13 cm. Apex acuminate. Base rounded or cordate. Blade thinly papery, both surfaces armed with stinging hairs, denser on abaxial surface. Cystoliths punctiform, adaxially conspicuous. Margins dentate. 3-veined, lateral basal pair reaching middle margin, lateral veins 3 or 4 each side of midvein. Petioles 7-11 cm. Stipules ca. 10 mm, apex 2-cleft, deciduous.

Flowers: Inflorescences axillary, often bisexual, rarely all male, paniculate, male inflorescences in proximal axils, shorter, bisexual inflorescences in distal axils, 10-20 cm, peduncle 7-14 cm, with stinging hairs and often long gland-tipped hairs. Plants monoecious. Male flowers pedicellate, in bud ca. 1.5 mm; perianth lobes 4 or 5, connate at base, cymbiform, with a few long gland-tipped hairs and sparsely setulose, apex corniculate; stamens 4 or 5. Female flowers: pedicel ca. 2 mm, not winged; perianth lobes 4, free, unequal, dorsal lobe ovate, ca. 0.25 mm, 2 lateral lobes largest, enclosing the ovary, broadly ovate, ca. 0.5 mm, ventral lobe minute. Ovary superior, asymmetrically ovoid; style filiform; stigma slightly reflexed, ligulate, ca. 0.3 mm.

Fruit: Achenes obliquely ovoid; compressed; ca. 1.5 mm in diam.; both central surfaces with inconspicuously warty depression; persistent lateral perianth lobes forming a small; basal cup. Seeds with thin or no endosperm; cotyledons broad.

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Potentially naturalizing
O'ahu Potentially naturalizing
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Water/Ocean

Pollinators

Specimens

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Bibliography

Name Published In: Gard. Bull. Singapore 21: 200 (1965)

Other References

Lau & Frohlich 2013:11 (NEWNAT/O, DESCR); Frohlich & Lau 2014:15 (H)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Laportea aestuans Kawaihau, Wailua homesteads, Kapaa, residential property Residential yard, Sedum (cultivated), Drymaria cordata, Phyllanthus tenellus, Ageratum conyzoides, Cyperus polystachyos. Preserved_Specimen A.M. Williams 849 Kauai BISH 2023-12-04
2 Laportea aestuans Mott Smith Dr. between Pililani Pl and Kalawahine Pl Sunny roadside, at base of recently planted shrub, seed or plant likely came with the shrub Preserved_Specimen Faccenda, K. 1882 Oahu BISH 2021-05-22
3 Laportea aestuans Windward Oahu, Kualoa Ranch, Hakipuu near Kamehameha Hwy. Lowland disturbed area near house along a road. Preserved_Specimen Lee, J. 1 Oahu BISH 2020-09-10
4 Laportea aestuans Plant nursery, Kurtistown, Hawaii In container in nursery- not planted, possibly germinated from potting soil. Preserved_Specimen HDOA Hawaii BISH 2012-11-28
5 Laportea aestuans Lihue District. Timbers Kauai Ocean Club & Residences at Hokuala, large triangle area bordered by Ninini Point Road and runways beyond. Covered nursery are w/ Laportea aestuans in pots, Amaranthus spinosus, Ageratum, Leonotis nepetifolia, are a few of the seedling look-likes. Nursery-person first reports seeing them pop up in pots after new potting soil. Preserved_Specimen (Not on sheet) Kauai BISH
6 Laportea aestuans Waimanalo, in a nursery. dry to mesic windward lowlands, nursery setting. Preserved_Specimen Arakaki, D. Oahu BISH 2012-05-03
7 Laportea aestuans Lihue District, Kauai Nursery and Landscaping, Puhi Growing off green waste pile Preserved_Specimen Jablonski, J. 101 Kauai BISH 2024-03-14
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