Dioecious or monoecious, annual or perennial herbs, not climbing, bearing stinging hairs, these less than 5 mm long. Stipules fused, intrapetiolar. Cystoliths present. Leaves alternate, simple, serrate. Inflorescences usually unisexual panicles, sometimes appearing spicate or as interrupted spikes. Male flowers: actinomorphic, 4-5-merous with the same number of stamens as tepals. Female flowers with 4 free, very unequal, tepals; ovary ovoid. Achene flattened, rugose. Worldwide: c. 21 species in warm and tropical regions of the world, extending to temperate E Asia and N America Mozambique: 6 taxa. |
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