Urticaceae 



387 



the petioles 3-10 cm. long, white appressed-puberulent; in- 

 florescence axillary, narrowly pyramidal or subspicate, die 

 pistillate above the staminate; flowers small, pale green, the 2 

 inner segments accrescent after anthesis and investing die 



achene; achenes flat, green, ovate. Oct.-Nov. Woods in 



mountains; Honshu (Kanto Distr. and westw.), Shikoku, 

 Kyushu. 



2. Urtica laetevirens Maxim. Koba-no-ira-kusa. 

 Erect perennial herb 50-100 cm. long; stems thinly ascending- 

 puberulous; leaves ovate or sometimes rather narrowly ovate, 5- 

 10 cm. long, 2.5-5 cm. wide, acuminate, rounded to broadly 

 cuneate at base, coarsely toothed, vivid green, scattered-pilose 

 above, often sparingly short-pilose beneath; staminate inflores- 

 cence on upper portion of stems above the pistillate, the glome- 

 rules rather loose. July-Oct. Woods in mountains; Hok- 

 kaido, Honshu. Korea and China. 



3. Urtica platyphylla Wedd. U. ta\edana Ohwi 



Ezo-iRA-KUSA. Tall, often gregarious perennial; stems erect, 

 50-180 cm. long, obtusely angled, simple or slightly branched, 

 ascending- or slightly recurved-puberulent; leaves deep green, 

 ovate, 8-15 cm. long, 4-8 cm. wide, acuminate, rounded or 

 shallowly cordate at base, short-pilose on both sides, especially 



on nerves beneath, coarsely toothed, the petioles 2-5 cm. long, 

 much shorter than the blade, ascending-puberulent; inflores- 

 cence narrowly pyramidal, the pistillate toward the upper 

 portion of the plant. July-Oct. Moist woods and river- 

 banks in lowlands and foothills; Hokkaido, Honshu (centr. 

 and n. distr.). Kuriles, Kamchatka, Sakhalin, and e. Si- 

 beria. 



4. Urtica angustifolia Fisch. 17. dioica var. angusiifolia 



Fisch.; U. foliosa Bl. Hosoba-ira-kusa. Resembles the 



preceding; stems 50-150 cm. long, erect, simple or slightly 

 branched, obtusely angled, rather sparingly appressed-pilosu- 

 lous; leaves deep green, narrowly oblong to lanceolate, 6-12 

 cm. long, 1.5-5 cm. wide, acuminate, rounded at base, coarsely 

 toothed, nearly glabrous or puberulous beneath especially on 

 nerves, the petioles 1-3 cm. long, slightly puberulous or nearly 



glabrous; inflorescence narrowly pyramidal. Aug.-Sept. 



Woods in mountains; Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu. 

 Korea, China, and e. Siberia. 



Var. sikokiana (Makino) Ohwi. U. si\oJ{iana Makino 



Nagaba-ira-kusa. a western phase with slender stems, the 

 leaves narrower and more glabrate, thinner. 



2. LAPORTEA Gaudich. Mukago-ira-kusa Zoku 



Dioecious or monoecious herbs, shrubs or trees with stinging hairs; leaves alternate, large, simple, tootlied or entire, pen- 

 ninerved, rarely 3-nerved, the stipules distinct, free or connate, deciduous; panicles or spikes axillary or terminal, the bracts 

 small or absent; staminate flowers 4- to 5-merous; perianth-segments equal or unequal, the outer ones rarely absent; ovary 



erect when young, ascending afterward; stigma linear, usually elongate; ovules orthotropous; achenes flat, ascending. 



Abundant in the Tropics, few in temperate e. Asia and N. America; our plants are herbs with pinnately 3-nerved leaves. 



lA. Pistillate inflorescence a one-sided panicle; leaves narrowly ovate, rounded to obtuse at base; plant vi'ith bulbils in leaf-axils; roots 

 thickened fusiform; achenes 2.5-3 mm. long 1. L. bulbifera 



IB. Pistillate inflorescence a linear spike; leaves broadly ovate, shallowly cordate to rounded at base; plant sometimes with bulbils; roots 

 slender, not thickened; achenes 1.7-1.8 mm. long 2. L. macrostachya 



1. Laportea bulbifera (Sieb. & Zucc.) Wedd. TJrtica 

 bulbifera Sieb. & Zucc; Fleurya bulbifera (Sieb. & Zucc.) Bl. 



Mukago-ira-kusa. Green perennial 40-70 cm. high 



with rather stout erect stems; leaves rather long-petioled, nar- 

 rowly ovate, 8-15 cm. long, 4-7 cm. wide, acuminate, obtuse 

 to rounded at base, coarsely mucronate-toothed, puberulous on 

 both surfaces especially on nerves; staminate inflorescence 

 paniculate, 4-7 cm. long, peduncled, axillary; pistillate in- 

 florescence on the upper part of the stems, 7-15 cm. long 

 inclusive of the long peduncle, ascending, the branches spread- 

 ing-puberulent on one side, the 2 lateral perianth-segments 

 oblong or obliquely narrow-obovate, obtuse, about 2.5 mm. 

 long, accrescent after anthesis; achenes smooth, pale green, 



obliquely ovate-orbicular, 2.5-3 mm. long. Aug.-Sept. 



Woods in mountains; Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu; 

 rather common. China. 



2. Laportea macrostachya (Maxim.) Ohwi. Sceptro- 



cnide macrostachya Maxim.; L. grossedentata Wright ^Mi- 



yama-ira-kusa. Green erect perennial 40-80 cm. high, the 

 stems slightly retrorsely puberulent; leaves petiolate, broadly 

 ovate or orbicular, 8-20 cm. long, 5-15 cm. wide, more or less 

 pilose on both surfaces, the stipules small; staminate inflores- 

 cence paniculate, 5-10 cm. long, puberulous, the pistillate 

 spicate, nearly terminal on the stems, peduncled, 20-30 cm. 

 long, ascending, puberulous, the glomerules rather loosely 

 several-flowered, the 2 lateral perianth-segments obliquely 

 ovate, obtuse, puberulous, nearly as long as the achene, ac- 

 crescent after anthesis; achenes obliquely elliptic, flat, 1.7-1.8 

 mm. long, smooth. Woods in mountains; Hokkaido, Hon- 

 shu. 



3. PILEA Lindl. 



Mizu Zoku 



Dioecious or monoecious, soft. Juicy annual or perennial herbs, rarely subshrubs; leaves opposite, equal or unequal, entire or 

 toothed, 3-nerved, rarely penniners'ed or nearly nerveless, the stipules connate, often caducous; inflorescence cymose, axillary, 

 loosely or densely flowered, subcapitate, the bracts small; staminate flowers 2- to 5-merous, perianth-segments valvate in bud; 

 pistillate perianth unequally 3-lobed or equally 5-lobed, the reduced stamens scalelike, opposite the segments, sometimes absent; 



ovary erect; stigma sessile, penicillate; achenes ovate, slightly flattened, with a membranous testa. More than 100 species, in 



the Tropics except Australia; few in temperate regions. 



