Compilation
Laportea ovalifolia

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Name

Identification
Laportea ovalifolia (Schumach.) Chew [family URTICACEAE ] (stored under name); Verified by Not on sheet,
Related name
  • Urera spicata
  • Fleurya ovalifolia
  • Fleurya podocarpa
  • Laportea ovalifolia
  • Haynea ovalifolia
  • Fleurya spicata
Common name
  • mσli the true ‘moli’; cf. Urera and Tregia spp. (auctt.) (SIERRA LEONE, MENDE), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 5
  • fukσse (NWT) (SIERRA LEONE, KORANKO), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 5
  • aberewa nom taa = old woman smokes tobacco (FRI) Kumasi otuo = Kumasi guns; in allusion to the pollen (F (GHANA, AKAN-ASANTE), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 5
  • kikσru (NWT) (SIERRA LEONE, TEMNE), Burkill, H.M. 1985. The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 5

Flora

Entry for Laportea ovalifolia Schumach. Chew [family URTICACEAE]
Herbarium
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (K)
Collection
Flora Zambesiaca
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
FZ, Vol 9, Part 6, page 79, (1991) Author: I. Friis
Names
Fleurya ovalifolia var. repens Hauman Lambinon [family URTICACEAE], in Bull. Soc. Roy. Bot. Belg. 91: 200 (1959). Type as above.
Fleurya ovalifolia Schumach. Dandy [family URTICACEAE], in F.W. Andr., Fl. Pl. Anglo-Egypt. Sudan 2: 277 (1952). —Keay in F.W.T.A. ed. 2, 1: 619 (1958). —Agnew, Upland Kenya Wild Fl.: 321 (1974). Type as above.
Fleurya podocarpa subsp. repens Hauman [family URTICACEAE], in F.C.B. 1: 192 (1948) nomen. Type from Zaire.
Fleurya podocarpa var. amphicarpa Engl. [family URTICACEAE], Pflanzenw. Ost-Afr. C: 163 (1895). Type from SW. Uganda or NW. Tanzania.
Fleurya podocarpa var. fulminans Hiern [family URTICACEAE], Cat. Afr. Pl. Welw. 1, 4: 989 (1900). Type from Angola.
Fleurya podocarpa Wedd. [family URTICACEAE], in DC., Prodr. 16, 1: 76 (1869). —Rendle in F.T.A. 6, 2: 251 (1917). —Hauman in F.C.B. 1: 191, t. 20 (1948). —Robyns, Fl. Parc Nat. Alb. 1: 74 (1948). Type from Nigeria.
Fleurya podocarpa var. mannii Wedd. [family URTICACEAE], in DC., Prodr. 16, 1: 76 (1869). —Rendle in F.T.A. 6, 2: 251 (1917). —Hauman in F.C.B. 1: 192 (1948). Type from Cameroon.
Haynea ovalifolia Schumach. [family URTICACEAE], in Schumach. & Thonn., Beskr. Guin. Pl.: 406 (1827). Type as above.
Laportea ovalifolia Schumach. Chew [family URTICACEAE], in Gard. Bull., Singapore 21: 201 (1965). —Letouzey in Fl. Cameroun 8: 131 (1968). —Chew in Gard. Bull., Singapore 25: 149 (1969). —Friis in F.T.E.A., Urticaceae: 18 (1989). TABS. 25, fig. 5;26, fig. 2. Type from Ghana.
Information
Perennial stoloniferous herbs, monoecious, with scattered stinging hairs, the main stem often prostrate with erect shoots, up to 2 m. tall, slightly branched. 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. Petioles 5–10 cm. long. Stipules up to 1 cm. long, almost glabrous except for a few stinging hairs. Inflorescences unisexual. 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. 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. 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. Achene up to 3 mm. long, rugose; geocarpic fruits may occur.
Habitat
Riverine forest.
Range
Widespread in tropical Africa; also from Sierra Leone to S. Sudan and south to Angola and Tanzania
Distribution
Zimbabwe N Makonde Distr., Mhangura (Mangula), 1300 m., male fl. 25.iii.1967, Jacobsen 3134 (PRE; SRGH).
Notes
The specimen cited represents the only record from the Flora Zambesiaca area so far.

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