274 
UETICACEiE. 
[Pilea. 
Hairs absent from all the Mauritian species and when present not 
stinging. Distrib. Round the world in the tropics. Species 150. 
Leaves entire 
Leaves toothed. 
Cymes peduncled. 
Dwarf trailers with small leaves. 
Peduncle much shorter than leaves 
Peduncle as long as leaves . . 
Erect, with leaves in. long . . 
Erect, with leaves 3-4 in. long . . 
Cymes sessile in the axils of the leaves. 
Petioles in. long. 
Leaves oblanceolate-rhomboid . . 
Leaves oblong-rhomboid . . . 
Petioles in. long. 
Herbaceous, with slender stems 
Shrubby, with stout stems . . . 
1. P. ARTICULATA. 
2. P. L2EVICAULIS. 
3. P. SESSILIFOLIA. 
4. P. URTICIFOLIA. 
5. P. LIJCENS. 
6. P. CUNEIFORMS. 
7. P. ATROVIRIDIS. 
8. P. Balfottrii. 
9. P. VERBASCIFOLIA, 
1. P. articulata, Wedd. in BO. Prod. xvi. 109. A dioicous peren- 
nial, with erect simple stems 1-1 1 foot high, with short upper inter- 
nodes. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, entire, acuminate, rounded at the 
base, triplinerved, 2-3 in. long; petiole 5-^ in. long ; stipules very 
small, deltoid, connate beneath the petiole. Male cymes capitate, 
the size of a pea, on a peduncle as long as the petiole ; pedicels 
very short. Perianth- segments scarcely at all mucronate below the 
tip. 
Mauritius, Commerson , Du Petit Thouars. Endemic. 
2. P. lsevicaulis, Wedd. in BO. Prod. xvi. 129. A dioicous peren- 
nial, with wiry trailing much-branched stems a foot or more long. 
Leaves opposite or whorled, the upper ones crowded, dark green, 
subcoriaceous, triplinerved, ovate, rounded at the base, y— | in. long, 
obtuse, entire or furnished with 1-2 distinct teeth on each side ; 
petiole T V~i in. long ; stipules minute, deltoid, persistent. Cymes 
few, dense, shortly-peduncled, shorter than the leaves. Male perianth 
2 V in. long, the segments mucronate below the tip. 
Mauritius, on damp rocks of the Pouce Mountain, Boivin , Blackburn ! Both this 
and P. sessilifolia may prove montane varieties of P.urticifolia. P.trilobata, Weddell 
loc. cit. ( TJrtica , Poir.) gathered in Mauritius by Commerson, judging from the 
description, does not differ from this materially. 
3. P. sessilifolia, Wedd. in BO. Prod. xvi. 125. A dioicous 
perennial, wuth firm trailing stems J-l foot long. Leaves opposite or 
4-nate, elliptic or ovate, usually narrowed to both ends, distinctly 
toothed, obscurely triplinerved, \-l in. long ; petiole none or very 
short ; stipules minute, deltoid, persistent. Cymes a single cluster on a 
peduncle longer than the leaves. Male perianth y 1 ^ in. long, the seg- 
ments mucronate below the tip. Achene ovoid, rather longer than 
its perianth. Urtica sessilifolia, Poir. Encyc. iv. 642. 
Mauritius, Commerson. Endemic. 
