Family |
Urticaceae
Parietaria judaica
L.
Parietaria judaica L.
(Fl. Palaest.: 32, 1756; Nouvelle Flore du Liban et de la Syrie, vol. 1, p. 375; Pl. CXXIII nº 3; 1966)
• Life-form & habit: Perennial, entirely herbaceous or suffruticose at the base; stems more or less villous with short hairs, erect or diffuse, very leafy, simple or branched.
• Leaves: Oblong-lanceolate up to 10 cm or oval, often reduced, more or less pubescent, cuneate or rounded at the base, long- or short-petiolate.
• Inflorescence & flowers: Axillary clusters 3–10 mm in diameter, dense, pauciflorous; bracts distinctly connate at the base. Perianth of fertile flowers enlarges after anthesis, becoming tubular and often tinged with rusty-brown.
• Fruit: Achene ovate, shining, smooth.
• Phenology: Flowers throughout the year.
• Habitat & elevation: Among the commonest and most widespread species; grows on rocks, old walls, gardens, canal banks, and near cultivated or inhabited places. Found from sea level to montane zones.
• Lebanese distribution: Widespread — Nahr Aouali, Nahr Damour, Beirut, Nahr el-Kelb, Tripoli, ‘Araya, Qrayé, ‘Abey, Qala‘at ech-Choukif, Cedars, Dimane-Hasroun, Bcharré, Neba‘-l-Laban, Ksara, Baalbeck, Fakié, Joubb Jennin.
• Syrian distribution: Zebdani, Ouadi el-Qarn, Souq Ouadi Barada, Ma‘loula, Madaya, Yabroud, Dera‘a, Soueida.
• Native range: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Azores, Baleares, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Islands, Egypt, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Kriti, Krym, Lebanon–Syria, Libya, Madeira, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, North Caucasus, NW. Balkan Peninsula, Pakistan, Palestine, Portugal, Romania, Sardegna, Sicilia, Spain, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Uzbekistan, West Himalaya (POWO).
• Introduced into: Argentina Northeast, Austria, California, Chile Central, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, Finland, Florida, Hungary, Jamaica, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New South Wales, New York, Norway, Pennsylvania, Peru, South Australia, Sweden, Tasmania, Texas, Uruguay, Victoria, Western Australia, Yemen (POWO).