小葉冷水麻
Pilea microphylla (L.) Liebm.
Basic information
Scientific name: Pilea microphylla
Family: Urticaceae
Common name: Angeloweed, Artillery plant, Joypowder plant
Chinese common name: 小葉冷水麻
Fig. 1: 小葉冷水麻
Discription
小葉冷水麻(Angeloweed) is a herbaceous annual plant whith a height of only 10 to 15 centermeters.
It has stem and leaves that almost succulent. The leaves are only 3 millimeters long, light green. Although it's leaves are opposite arrangement, but when comparing their size, they often asymmetry.
It has cyme flower that only forms at the axil of leaf. Their male flower has 4 tepals and 4 stamens with no ovary. Female flower has 3 tepal bracts and an ovary with 1 locule and ovule.
Fig. 2: Location of 小葉冷水麻 in NSYSU
Distribution
Native: Florida, Mexico, the West Indies, and tropical Central and Southern America.
Invasive: Australia, China, Diego Garcia, the Galapagos Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hawaii, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Pitcairn Islands, Singapore, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Wallis and Futuna.
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Fig. 3: Dispersion of 小葉冷水麻 (from gbif.org).
All photos are taken by 鍾德叡.