Urticaceae

Urera Gaudich.

First published in Voy. Uranie: 496 (1830)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Hawaiian Islands, Mexico to Tropical America, W. & W. Central Tropical & Africa, W. Indian Ocean.

Descriptions

Urticaceae, I. Friis. Flora Zambesiaca 9:6. 1991

Morphology General Habit
Dioecious woody climbers, or lianas often reaching the top of the supporting tree, mostly fixed to the substrate by adventitious, axillary roots from the stems; stinging hairs on the herbaceous parts or at least a few on the petioles and inflorescences, rarely totally absent, frequently mounted on epidermal protuberances.
Morphology General Cystoliths
Cystoliths dot-like.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, petiolate; lamina simple, with an entire to dentate margin, triplinerved.
Morphology Leaves Stipules
Stipules fused for half to two thirds of their length, intrapetiolar.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary, paniculate cymes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Male flowers 4–5-merous, stamens equalling the tepals in number; ovary rudimentary. Female flowers with 4 somewhat unequal tepals ± free or fused for at least three quarters of their length; staminodes absent; ovary ovoid; stigma almost sessile, penicillate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit an achene, enclosed by the persistent perianth which increases in size and becomes fleshy and orange-yellow or red in fruit.
[FZ]

Urticaceae, I. Friis University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1989

Morphology General Habit
Woody climbers, often fixed to the substrate by adventitious axillary roots from the stems, dioecious, with stinging hairs on petioles and inflorescences, stiff hairs absent; young stems and petioles often with protuberances bearing stinging hairs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves alternate, petiolate, simple; stipules intrapetiolar, fused, with free tips; cystoliths punctiform or elongated
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences of lax axillary racemes with the flowers in small cymose glomerules
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Male flowers 4–5-merous, with rudimentary ovary Female flowers with 4 somewhat unequal tepals fused in the lower part or with a ± completely tubular perianth bearing ± 4 indistinct teeth at the opening; staminodes absent; ovary ovoid, ± completely enclosed in the perianth; stigma almost sessile, penicillate
sex Male
Male flowers 4–5-merous, with rudimentary ovary
sex Female
Female flowers with 4 somewhat unequal tepals fused in the lower part or with a ± completely tubular perianth bearing ± 4 indistinct teeth at the opening; staminodes absent; ovary ovoid, ± completely enclosed in the perianth; stigma almost sessile, penicillate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit an achene, enclosed in the persistent perianth which enlarges and becomes fleshy and red in fruit.
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0