PENNSYLVANIA PELLITORY
Parietaria pensylvanica
NETTLE FAMILY (Urticaceae)
Identification
- Flowering time - May to September
- Common in moist woods at FF & NW
- Inconspicuous green plant
- Green bracts in leaf axils
- Narrow leaves with smooth margins unlike Three-seeded Mercury
This inconspicuous native annual has erect, unbranched stems up to 15 inches tall. The long lance-shaped leaves taper gradually to a blunt tip. Leaves have smooth margins and are on long stalks, alternating on the stem (A). Inconspicuous green flowers framed by 4 green sepals and several longer leafy bracts are clustered around the leaf axils (B). Plants sometimes occur in large colonies (C).
Found along moist, shaded woodland trails, flowering from May through September. Common at both Fontenelle Forest and Neale Woods.
Pennsylvania Pellitory looks very much like another little green plant, Three-seeded Mercury (Acalypha rhomboidea), that also has inconspicuous flowers and leafy bracts at the junction of the leaf and stem (axil). Leaf shape is the best identifier. Pennsylvania Pellitory has long, narrow leaves with smooth margins which taper slowly to a blunt tip. Three-seeded Mercury leaves are broader, tapering more abruptly to a pointed tip and margins have shallow teeth.
Unlike many other members of the Nettle Family, Pennsylvania Pellitory has no stinging hairs.
The content of NatureSearch is provided by dedicated volunteer Naturalists of Fontenelle Forest who strive to provide the most accurate information available. Contributors of the images retain their copyrights. The point of contact for this page is: Roland Barth.