Girardinia diversifolia (Link) Friis

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect, annual or short-lived perennial, monocarpic herb.

Morphology Stem

Stems unbranched or little branched near the top, somewhat lignified, hollow, 1.5–2 m. tall, up to 1 cm. in diameter at base; bark often furrowed, greenish to dark brown, densely beset with stinging hairs 0.7–0.9 cm. long and with short stiff hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves usually fallen from the lower part of the stem at anthesis; stipules linear-lanceolate, fused for at least 4/5 of their length, strigose to pubescent outside, glabrous inside, usually fallen at anthesis; petioles 3–15 cm. long, pubescent to pilose, densely beset with stinging hairs up to 0.6 cm. long; lamina ovate in outline, but varying from undivided to variously lobed or divided, 6–25 cm. long, 3.5–23 cm. wide, base cuneate, truncate, rarely subcordate (and usually only so in much divided leaves), margin in undivided leaves with 20–25 teeth on each side (in lobed or divided leaves with 10–20 teeth on the outer margin of the first lobes), apex (both of entire leaf and of lobes) acute or acuminate, sometimes with a terminal tooth 1–2 cm. long; lateral nerves 5–6 pairs, basal pair in undivided leaves reaching 10th–15th tooth from apex, in lobed or divided leaves ending in the tip of the basal lobes; upper surface with scattered stiff hairs and stinging hairs up to 7 mm. long, cystoliths punctiform, lower surface pubescent on the fine reticulation of nerves and with stinging hairs on the larger nerves.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence paniculate, but ♂ and ♀ very different; ♂ on peduncles up to ± 2 cm. long, overall up to 10 cm. long, little branched, with ♂ flowers in dense clusters which may be almost confluent along the axes; ♀ much branched panicles, with the ultimate branches forming dense dichasia, 2–3 cm. long at the time of anthesis, but elongating to 10–15 cm. during ripening of the fruit, densely beset with stinging hairs up to ± 5 mm. long.

sex Male

Male flowers on pedicels ± 1 mm. long; perianth ± 1 mm. in diameter, 5-merous; tepals without subapical appendage.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Female flowers sessile in the bifurcations of the dichasia; perianth ±1.5 mm. long, with 3 almost completely fused tepals, the 4th tepal usually suppressed; ovary enclosed in the perianth; stigma filiform, ± 2 mm. long, protruding. Male flowers on pedicels ± 1 mm. long; perianth ± 1 mm. in diameter, 5-merous; tepals without subapical appendage.

sex Female

Female flowers sessile in the bifurcations of the dichasia; perianth ±1.5 mm. long, with 3 almost completely fused tepals, the 4th tepal usually suppressed; ovary enclosed in the perianth; stigma filiform, ± 2 mm. long, protruding.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achene ovoid to orbicular, compressed, ± 3.5 mm. long, smooth, brown.

Figures

Fig. 4, p. 14.

Habitat

Upland rain-forest, especially in clearings, natural glades and along edges, also in dry montane forest and in shady places in cultivations and in moist rocky places, caves and at base of rocky outcrops; 1100–2500 m.

Distribution

K1 K3 K4 K5 K6 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 U1 widespread, from Senegal to S. Sudan (Imatong Mts.) and Ethiopia, S. to Angola, Zimbabwe, and South Africa (Transvaal)also on Madagascar, in Yemen, and Asia from Sri Lanka and India to S. China, Taiwan and Indonesia

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect annual or short-lived perennial herbs to 1.5(2) m. tall, monoecious or dioecious by abortion.

Morphology Stem

Stem sparsely branched, pubescent and covered with stinging hairs 7–9 mm. long, and with short stiff hairs.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves usually fallen from the lower part of the stem at anthesis, 10–20(25) x 10–18(23) cm., ovate to cordate but extremely variously lobed or divided (lamina of the younger leaves usually the least divided); apices of entire leaves and of lobes acuminate; base cuneate, truncate or cordate; margin dentate (with 20–25 teeth on each side in undivided leaves), teeth fine to coarse; lamina not bullate, triplinerved, upper surface glabrescent except for the stinging hairs, lower surface pubescent and with stinging hairs on the nerves.

Morphology Leaves Petiole

Petioles 3–15 cm. long, densely beset with stinging hairs.

Morphology Leaves Stipules

Stipules linear-lanceolate, fused for at least four fifths of their length, usually fallen at anthesis.

Morphology General Cystoliths

Cystoliths dot-like.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescences unisexual, cylindrical, up to 10 cm. long. Male inflorescences narrow, spicate panicles on peduncles to c. 2 cm. long; flowers on pedicels c. 1 mm. long, clustered, perianth 4–5-merous, tepals without dorsal appendages, rudimentary ovary present Female inflorescences thicker than the males, densely cymose, consisting of small dichasia 2–3 cm. long at anthesis but elongating to 10–15 cm. during ripening of fruit; flowers sessile, perianth c. 2 mm. long with 3 fused tepals, a free fourth tepal usually absent, ovary enclosed in perianth, stigma filiform.

sex Male

Male inflorescences narrow, spicate panicles on peduncles to c. 2 cm. long; flowers on pedicels c. 1 mm. long, clustered, perianth 4–5-merous, tepals without dorsal appendages, rudimentary ovary present

sex Female

Female inflorescences thicker than the males, densely cymose, consisting of small dichasia 2–3 cm. long at anthesis but elongating to 10–15 cm. during ripening of fruit; flowers sessile, perianth c. 2 mm. long with 3 fused tepals, a free fourth tepal usually absent, ovary enclosed in perianth, stigma filiform.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achene up to 2 mm. long, ovoid to subcordate, compressed, rugose.