124. URTICACEJS. 



2. Stigma subpeltate, fimbriate. Fruiting perianth in a 

 tieshy cupula :— 

 Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate. Fl, -clusters axillary 

 and from leaf scars 8. Villehrunea. 



1. FLEURYA, Gaud. 



Nettle-like herbs with stinging hairs. Leaves alternate, toothed, 

 3-nerved with linear cystoliths. Stipules connate in opposite pairs 

 or 0. Flowers monoecious or dioecious, clustered, clusters in axillary 

 sometimes spiciform cymes which are 1 -sexual or androgynous. Male 

 flower 4-5-merous. Fem. fl. perianth cupular 4-lobed or tepals 4 

 imbricate, equal or unequal, posticous hooded, anticous minute or 0. 

 Ovary oblique with obliquely ovoid or linear finally hooked permanent 

 style with sometimes 2 basal arms. Achene oblique, compressed, 

 exserted, membranous. Seed nearly exalbuminous, cotyledons broad. 



1. F. interrupta. Gaud. Lal-bichua, H. ; Bara-kanj, TJran. 



An erect herb 2-3 ft. high puberulous and with stinging hairs but 

 without bulbous bases on the stems. Leaves ovate acuminate 5-6", 

 coarsely dentate-serrate, glabrous beneath except on the nerves, 

 above thinly hispid Avith bulbous-based hairs. Petioles longer than 

 the blade. Inflorescence very long and lax, 8-14", its branches and 

 pedicels recurved. Male and female in the same clusters. 



Usuallj'near houses and ruins. Ranchi ! Khurda! Fl.,Fr. Sept.-Oct. Probably 

 aiinual. 



Leaves subcordate, truncate or cuneate at the base. Stipules 2-fid. Fem. fl. 

 ol)lique on the pedicel. Perianth -with unequal tepals, with few erect hairs at the 

 base. Ovai-y oblique, very fragile. Style upcurved subulate with 2 shorter basal 

 subulate arms which are sometimes absent. Ripe achene exserted compressed 

 with 3 marginal ridges, the middle one sub-alate, faces corrugate. 



2. LAPORTEA, Gaud. 

 Trees, shrubs or herbs with (sometimes very minute) stinging hairs 

 and alternate, entire or toothed palmi-nerved or penni-nerved leaves ; 

 stipules free or connate. Flowers mono- or dioecious, in paniculate 

 usually 1 -sexual cymes or racemes, upper cymes usually very long 

 and male, flowers and fruit often reflexed. Male : sepals 4-5, sub- 

 valvate, pistillode clavate or subglobose. Fem. : perianth segments 4, 

 subequal or outer small, one sometimes absent, ovary at length 

 oblique, style linear, papillose on one side. Achene oblique, com- 

 pressed, membranous or fleshy, seated on the perianth, sometimes 

 obliquely stipitate. Seed subexalbuminous, cotyledons broad. 



L L. crenulata, Gaud. 



A soft-stemmed shrub 3-8 ft. high with white stout branches, large 

 shining elliptic penninerved leaves and greenish flowers in divaricate 

 cymes. Utricle inflated, white. 



Deep shady ravines in the Karampoda forest, Singbhum ! Fl. Sept.-Oct. Fr. 

 Nov.-Dec. Evergreen. 



L. 12" by 4'5" or more, quite entire in our area, minutely pustular and with few 

 scattered hairs. Inflorescence covered with hairs. 



The sting of this nettle is most virulent, the effects sometimes lasting for days 

 and producing sleeplessness and fever. It has been noted {Hook, Him. Journ., 

 .and by otherB) that it is worst in the autumn, and indeed I have often found it 



812 



