| Home | > | List of families | > | Urticaceae | > | Laportea | > | ovalifolia |
| Synonyms: |
Fleurya ovalifolia (Schumach.) Dandy Fleurya podocarpa Wedd. Haynea ovalifolia Schumach. |
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| Description: |
Perennial herb with scattered stinging hairs, forming stolons, often prostrate with erect shoots, up to 2 m tall. Leaves ovate 8–10 cm long, usually subcordate to rounded at the base, with no or few stinging hairs above, more numerous beneath, especially on the midrib; margin crenate to serrate; petiole 5–10 cm long. Stipules up to 1 cm long, almost hairless except for a few stinging hairs. Inflorescences unisexual on the same plant. Male inflorescences often arising directly from the stolons, but sometimes also axillary from the erect stems, branched, up to 50 cm long; flowers in dense clusters at intervals along the pubescent axis; tepals 5, up to 2 mm long. Female inflorescence mostly axillary, but sometimes produced directly from the stolons, up to 6 cm long, pubescent; flowers up to 2 mm long; tepals 4, hairless; stigma 3-branched. Achene up to 3 mm long, rugose. |
| Notes: | |
| Derivation of specific name: | ovalifolia: with oval (i.e. elliptic) leaves |
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| Worldwide distribution: | Fairly widespread in tropical Africa as far as Tanzania and Angola with a single record from Zimbabwe. |
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| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Friis, I. (1989). Urticaceae Flora of Tropical East Africa Pages 18 - 19. Friis, I. (1991). Urticaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(6) Pages 89 - 91. (Includes a picture). Hauman, L. (1948). Urticaceae Flore du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi Volume I Pages 191 - 193. As Fleurya podocarpa. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 82. |
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