Urera
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| Urera | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Urera simplex | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Urticaceae |
| Tribe: | Urticeae |
| Genus: | Urera Gaudich. (1830) |
| Species[1] | |
|
28; see text | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Calostima Raf. (1837) | |
Urera is a genus of flowering plants in the nettle family, Urticaceae. It has a pantropical distribution.[2]
Urera are lianas,[3] shrubs, and small trees.[2] Climbing species root along the stems and can reach the crowns of the trees they use for support.[3] Some are spiny.[2] They almost always have urticating hairs, often on bumps in the epidermis.[3] These are stiff, stinging trichomes with swollen bases.[2] The leaves are variable in shape and venation, and help in the identification of species. Also useful is the varying appearance and arrangement of cystoliths on the leaf surface. The inflorescence is a divided, branching panicle of flowers. Most species are dioecious, but a few are monoecious. Most species have male flowers with either four or five stamens and tepals.[2] Female flowers generally have four uneven, free to mostly fused tepals. The fruit is an achene covered in orange or red flesh.[3]
