Laportea aestuans
Content
Description
Herb up to 2 m tall, branched or unbranched. Stem succulent, when dry 2-8 mm thick, with stinging and/or glandular hairs. Stipules 0.2-1.2 cm long, sparsely puberulous; petiole (0.5-)1.5-10(-15) cm long; blade papyraceous, broadly or narrowly ovate, (1.5-)7-21 x (1-)4-17 cm, apex acuminate, base rounded to subcordate or to acute, margin serrate-crenate to -dentate, both surfaces with sparse (stinging) hairs; secondary veins 2-6 pairs. Inflorescences in the leaf axils or also on the leafless parts of the stem, up to 25 cm long. Staminate flowers with up to 1 mm long pedicel; tepals ca. 1 mm long, with 2-5 stinging or glandular hairs at the apex. Pistillate flowers with up to 0.5 mm long pedicel; tepals ca. 0.5 mm long, the larger (dorsal) tepal with 2-5 stinging or glandular hairs; stigma 0.2-0.3 mm long. Achene ca. 2 x 2 mm.