Perennial stoloniferous herb, sometimes almost entirely prostrate except for the erect ♂ inflorescences; erect shoots up to 1.25 m. high.. Stems somewhat woody at base, pubescent to glabrescent, sometimes with short ± appressed stinging hairs.. Leaves very variable in size and shape, usually restricted to the erect shoots, but sometimes also from the stolons; stipules linear–lanceolate, fused for at least 1/2 their length, up to ± 1 cm. long, with few stiff, perhaps stinging hairs, otherwise glabrous; petiole 5–10 cm. long, glabrous to puberulous, sometimes with a few appressed stinging hairs; lamina ovate, 3.5–10 cm. long, 2–8 cm. wide, base truncate to rounded or very broadly cuneate, margin serrate, on each side with 13–28 teeth less than 0.5 cm. long, apex acuminate, with a terminal tooth up 1 cm. long; lateral nerves 4–7 pairs, basal pair reaching 6th–12th tooth from apex (slightly more than halfway to the apex); upper surface with short, stiff, presumably stinging hairs and punctiform cystoliths, lower surface with stiff, stinging hairs on the nerves.. Inflorescences unisexual; ♂ inflorescences axillary or directly from the stolons, paniculate, with overall length up to ± 50 cm., usually with all the side-branches reduced to clusters, but occasionally with the lower branch developed, on a peduncle 10–20 cm. long, axes pubescent, somewhat juicy or fleshy, mostly conspicuously pinkish-brown, differing noticeably in colour and texture from the stems; ♀ inflorescences racemes or little branched panicle, up to 5 cm. long, sometimes in the axil of the upper leaves (not seen in material from Flora area), but mostly from stolons, and then usually geocarpic, axes thin, glabrous to puberulous, pinkish-red, up to ± 5 cm. long.. Male flowers in cymose clusters up to 1.5 cm. in diameter, on pedicels up to 3 mm. long; perianth ± 2 mm. in diameter, 5-merous, tepals without appendages, sometimes with a few stinging hairs.. Female flowers usually single or few together, on pedicels 0.5–2.5 mm. long; tepals subequal, up to ± 2 mm. long, the ventral one usually shorter; ovary slightly longer than the tepals; style with 3 branches, the longest up to ± 3 mm. long.. Achene ovoid, laterally compressed, 3–4 mm. long, usually not stipitate and not reflexed, with a flattened wing-like outer zone, and a ridge surrounding a warted central area on each side, dispersed with the perianth.. Fig. 6/C, p. 22 & 7/B, p. 24.
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A herb. It keeps growing from year to year and has runners. It has scattered stinging hairs. The main stem usually lies along the ground and has erect shoots. It grows 2 m tall. The leaves are alternate and simple. The leaf stalk is 5-10 cm long and the leaf blade is 8-10 cm long by 4-6 cm wide. It is rounded at the base and tapers to the tip. There are rounded teeth along the edge. The flowers are of separate sexes. The male flowers are on fleshy pink erect stalks 50 cm long. These arise from the leaf axils of underground stems. They are in clusters 1 cm across. Female flowers are on stalks 5 cm tall. The fruit are 3 mm long.
Female inflorescence mostly axillary, but sometimes produced directly from the stolons, shortly racemose or paniculate, up to 6 cm. long, pubescent Male flowers on pedicels 1–2 mm. long; perianth up to 2 mm. long, tepals 5, non-corniculate, stamens 5, pistillode 1.
Male inflorescences often arising directly from the stolons, but sometimes also axillary from the erect stems, paniculate, up to 50 cm. long; male flowers gathered in dense clusters at intervals along the axis, pubescent, rarely with stinging hairs.
Leaves 8–10 x 4–6 cm., ovate; apex acute to acuminate; base usually subcordate to rounded; margin crenate to serrate; stinging hairs 0-few on upper surface, more numerous on lower surface, especially on the midribs.
Female flowers on pedicels 1 mm. long; perianth up to 2 mm. long, tepals 4 almost equal, glabrous; stigma with 3 branches, a central longer one and 2 shorter lateral ones.
Perennial stoloniferous herbs, monoecious, with scattered stinging hairs, the main stem often prostrate with erect shoots, up to 2 m. tall, slightly branched.
Stipules up to 1 cm. long, almost glabrous except for a few stinging hairs.
Achene up to 3 mm. long, rugose; geocarpic fruits may occur.
Inflorescences unisexual.
Primary rainforest and secondary jungle, clearings, stream-sides, at elevations up to 2,000 metres. Found in the ground layer of rainforest, swamp forest, along streams; sometimes in gaps or along forest paths, even on adjacent cultivated land.
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A tropical plant. It grows in forest and along streams. It grows from 900-2,000 m altitude.
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