Urtica gracilenta

Herbs , annual, with taproot, 3-20 dm. Stems simple or branched from base, erect. Leaf blades ovate to broadly ovate, distal blades becoming ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, 7-15 × 5-10 cm, base truncate to cordate, margins coarsely dentate, apex acute to caudate; cystoliths rounded or occasionally elongate. Inflorescences racemose, elongate. Flowers unisexual, staminate and pistillate in separate inflorescences, or with a few pistillate flowers at apex of staminate inflorescences, subsessile to short-pedunculate. Pistillate flowers: outer tepals lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 0.8-1 mm, inner tepals broadly ovate, 1.4-2.2 × 1.3-1.4 mm. Achenes ovoid, 1.4-1.6 × 1-1.1 mm. 2 n = 26.

Flowering summer-fall, occasionally all year. Alluvial or calcareous soils, often in moist, shaded places; 1200-2800 m; Ariz., N.Mex., Tex.; n Mexico.

Plant: annual herbs; Monoecious, erect, simple or branched from the base, 0.3-2 m tall Leaves: ovate to widely ovate below, becoming ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate above, the blade 7-15 cm long, 5-10 cm wide; apex acute to somewhat caudate; base truncate to cordate; margins coarsely dentate; cystoliths punctiform or occasionally elongate INFLORESCENCE: racemes, with either staminate or pistillate flowers, or pistillate flowers at the apex of mostly staminate inflorescences, subsessile to short pedunculate Flowers: PISTILLATE FLOWERS with outer tepals lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 0.8-1 mm long; inner tepals widely ovate, 1.4-2.2 mm long, 1.3-1.4 mm wide; STAMINATE FLOWERS with 4 equal tepals, 4 stamens, and a rudimentary, cuplike ovary Fruit: FRUITS ovoid, 1.4-1.6 mm long, 1-1.1 mm broad, flattened Misc: Alluvial or calcareous soils, often in moist, shaded places; 1100-2400 m (3600-7800 ft); summer-fall REFERENCES: Boufford, David E. 1992. Urticaceae. Ariz.-Nev. Acad. Sci. 26(1)2.