Clearweed Nettle

Order: Urticales

Family: Urticaceae

Genus: Pilea

Species: P. pumila

Identifying Characteristics:

- Height: ½–2' tall

- stems: are smooth, round, hairless, and translucent. They are light green, greyish green, or reddish green in appearance;some of the large stems may be slightly ribbed

- Leaves: The opposite leaves are 1-5' long and half as much across. They are ovate, hairless, and coarsely serrated. Each leaf has a thin membranous texture with a prominent central vein and two conspicuous side veins. The upper surface is green or dark green, while the lower surface is light green or nearly white.

- Flower: From the axil of each upper leaf, there develops a narrow raceme of flowers up to 1" long. Each plant has separate male and/or female flowers that are less than 1/8" long, and either greenish white or greenish yellow. The male flowers have no petals, 4 sepals, and 4 stamens, while the female flowers have no petals, 3 sepals, and 1 pistil. Toward the inner surface of the sepals are small scales. The blooming period occurs from mid-summer to early fall, and lasts about 1-2 months. There is no floral scent.

Special Characteristics:

- Habitats include poorly drained areas of upland forests, floodplain forests, crevices in rocky canyons, and shady or partially shaded wetland areas, including seeps, borders of small streams,and alongside pools of water. The moist wooded areas where this plant occurs are typically dominated by such deciduous trees as Silver Maple, Sugar Maple, Sycamore, River Birch, Green Ash, etc. Clearweed often forms large colonies by reseeding itself

- The flowers are wind-pollinated, therefore they don't attract many insects. The caterpillars of the following butterflies feed on the foliage