Laportea mooreana (Hiern) Chew

Annual (?and short-lived perennial) monoecious herb, up to ± l(–?4) m. high, with few stems from the ± woody base.. Stems puberulous to pubescent, frequently with stinging hairs 1–2 mm. long, raised on protuberances 1–2 mm. high; bark usually pale, greenish to brownish.. Leaves crowded towards the top of the stems; stipules lanceolate, fused for ± half their length, ± 1 cm. long, with a few stiff hairs on the nerves; petiole 1.5–13(–15) cm. long, glabrescent, but distal part usually densely beset with raised stinging hairs as on stems; lamina broadly ovate to triangular, 4.5–15 cm. long, 3.5–13 cm. wide, base truncate to subcordate, margin coarsely serrate, on each side with 8–16 teeth, each tooth 0.6–1.3 cm. long and wide, with a distinct submarginal nerve on both sides, apex acuminate to caudate, terminal tooth up to ± 2 cm. long; lateral nerves 4–7 pairs, basal pair reaching 7th–8th tooth from apex; upper surface with scattered stinging hairs and punctiform cystoliths, lower surface glabrous to puberulous on the nerves, on which raised stinging hairs also frequently occur as on stem and petiole.. Inflorescences unisexual or bisexual, paniculate, on peduncles 2–5 cm. long, up to ± 20 cm. long overall, single in the axils of the upper leaves; axes glabrous, frequently with raised stinging hairs, side-branches 10–20, up to ± 2 cm. long.. Male flowers in separate inflorescences in the lower leaf-axils, or in the lower part of bisexual ones, on pedicels ± 1 mm. long; perianth 1–1.5 mm. in diameter, 4-merous, corniculate or with a subapical appendage up to 0.3 mm. long, sometimes with stinging hairs.. Female flowers in inflorescences of the upper leaf-axils or in the upper parts of lower inflorescences, on pedicels ± 0.5 mm. long; tepals 4, or sometimes with 1 reduced, lateral ones ± 1 mm. long, the dorsal one slightly shorter, geniculate, usually with 1–few stinging hairs; ovary with linear stigma ± 0.5 mm. long.. Achene ovoid, laterally compressed, 1–1.5 mm. long, sessile to slightly stipitate, on the flattened sides with a ridge surrounding a central warted depression, dispersed with the perianth.. Fig. 6/D, p. 22 & 7/C, p. 24.

Undergrowth of rainforest, in riverine vegetation, on moist rocks in woodland or wooded grassland, and as a ruderal of waste places, at elevations from 900-1,600 metres.

The leaves are boiled and eaten as a relish.

Can be grown by seedlings.