l68 53. MORACEAE — 54. URTICACEAE 



Female flowers surrounded by subequal bracts and intermixed with some 

 male flowers. — Species q. Tropics. Some species have edible seeds 

 Irom which alfo oil and meal are prepared. . . . Treculia Decne. 



FAMILY 54. URTICACEAE 



Juice not milky. Leaves usaally stipulate. Flowers unisexual, rarely 

 (Parictaria) polygamous Perianth simple, with i — 5 segments, sometimes 

 wanting in the female flowers. Stamens in the male flowers as many as per- 

 ianth-segments. Filaments broadened at the base, bent inwards in the bud. 

 Anthers attached by the back, opening by longitudinal slits. Ovary i-celled. 

 Ovule I, erect or ascending, straight. Style i or o. Fruit indehiscent. Seed 

 with a thin coat and a straight embryo, usually albuminous. — Genera 20, 

 species 150. (Plate 32.) 



1. Stamen i. Perianth of the male flowers entire or divided in 2 — 3 segments, 



of the female entire 4 -toothed or wanting. Stigma linear. Herbs or 

 undershrubs, rarely shrubs. Hairs not stinging. Stipules free. [Tribe 



FORSKOHLEAE.] 2 



Stamens 2 — 5 4 



2. Flower-clusters without an involucre and not surrounded by woolly hairs. 



Female flowers with a perianth. — Species 4. South and East Africa. 



'Dzrfvwo^/o.ra F. Mey.) Australina Gaudich. 



Flower-clusters with an involucre and usually surrounded by woolly hairs. 

 Female flowers without a perianth 3 



3. Involucral bracts free or united at the base only. Stem rough. Herbs 



undershrubs or shrubs. — Species 5 Forskoblea L. 



Involucral bracts united high up. Stem smooth. Herbs or undershrubs. 



— Species 5. Tropical and South Africa. Droguetia Gaudich. 



4. Stipules absent. Leaves alternate, entire. Plants without stinging hairs. 



Female flowers in glomerules surrounded by an involucre ; perianth 4- 



cleft. [Tribe PARIETARIEAE.] 5 



Stipules present, very rarely rudimentary, but then leaves toothed. . . 6 



5. Stem herbaceous. Flowers polygamous. Stigma spatulate and recurved. 



— Species 8. Some are used in medicine. " Pellitory." 



Parietaria Tourn. 



Stem woody. Flowers unisexual. Stigma linear. — Species i. Canary 



Islands Gesnouinia Gaudich. 



6. Plants with stinging hairs, very rarely {Fleurya) almost glabrous, and then 



stigma linear-oblong and shortly papillose and perianth of the female 



flowers 3 — 4-partite. Perianth-segments of the female flowers 4, rarely 



I — 3. Embryo with orbicular cotyledons. [Tribe UREREAE.] 7 



Plants without stinging hairs 12 



7. Fruit straight. Stigma penicillate. Leaves opposite. Herbs. — Species 



10. They yield material for spinning and paper-making and are used 



as pot-herbs and in medicine. " Nettle." . . Urtica Gaudich. 



Fruit oblique. Leaves alternate 8 



