Pilea sanctae-crucis Liebm.
-
Authority
Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.
-
Family
Urticaceae
-
Scientific Name
-
Description
Species Description - Erect or decumbent, monoecious or dioecious herb, 20-35 cm tall; stems fleshy, reddish-tinged, pilose. Leaf blades 5-10 x 2.7-5 cm, ovate, oblong, or elliptic, chartaceous, pilose, 3-5- veined from base, the lower surface with numerous linear cystoliths, the apex obtuse to acute, the base obtuse, attenuate, rounded, or seldom nearly cordate, the margins doubly serrate; petioles slender, pilose, 1-4 cm long; stipules oblong to obovate, ca. 6 mm long. Flowers beige or reddish-tinged, staminate and pistillate on different inflorescences. Staminate flowers congested in cyme units on long-pedunculate inflorescences; perianth 1.5-2 mm long. Pistillate flowers in branched raceme like inflorescences; perianth ca. 0.5 mm long. Achene ca. 0.5 mm long, yellowish brown, smooth, ellipsoid.
-
Distribution
A common herb in moist forest understory, growing on ground or rocks. Bordeaux (A1884, A5069). Also on St. Croix, St. Thomas, and Tortola; Puerto Rico (according to Urban, 1905).
Puerto Rico South America| Tortola Virgin Islands South America| Saint Thomas Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Saint Croix Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Saint John Virgin Islands of the United States South America|