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: