Urticaceae

West Indian woodnettle

Laportea aestuans (L.) Chew

Family: Urticaceae
Genus: Laportea

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West Indian woodnettle (Laportea aestuans) — FlowerPhoto: chiuluan, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Common names

By language (5)

Chinese: 火焰桑叶麻, 腺花桑葉麻, 火焰桑葉麻, 腺花桑叶麻
English: West Indian woodnettle
Indonesian: Daun gatal
sg: Kâsa
Spanish: Ishanga blanca, Ortiga brava

Synonyms

Fleurya aestuans (L.) Gaudich.
Fleurya aestuans (L.) Gaudich.
Fleurya aestuans var. glandulosa (Wedd.) Wedd.
Fleurya aestuans var. linnaeana Wedd.
Fleurya aestuans var. petiolata (Decne.) Wedd.
Fleurya aestuans var. racemosa (Burm. ex Wedd.) Wedd.
Fleurya aestuans var. tuberculata (Andersson) Wedd.
Fleurya caraoellana (Schrank) Wedd.
Fleurya cordata Gaudich.
Fleurya corylifolia Gaudich.
Fleurya cymosa (Hassk.) Wedd.
Fleurya glandulosa Wedd.
Fleurya ingrata Miq.
Fleurya lurida Blume
Fleurya perrieri Leandri
Fleurya petiolata Decne.
Fleurya racemosa Gaudich.
Fleuryopsis petiolata (Decne.) Opiz
Laportea bathiei Leandri
Laportea glandulosa (Wedd.) V.C.Lima
Urera gaudichaudiana Hensl.
Urtica aestuans L.
Urtica caravellana Schrank
Urtica cordata Gaudich.
Urtica corylifolia Juss. ex Poir.
Urtica cymosa Hassk.
Urtica divergens G.Mey.
Urtica hirsuta Vahl
Urtica latifolia Rich.
Urtica nemorosa Kunth
Urtica petiolata Steud.
Urtica racemosa Burm. ex Wedd.
Urtica schimperiana Hochst. ex Steud.
Urtica tuberculata Andersson

Flowers

In flower: December to September (from 146 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Forb/herb
Lifespan: Annual, Perennial
In the US and Canada: Lower 48 states: introduced, Puerto Rico: native, U.S. Virgin Islands: native

Photos

FlowerPhoto: chiuluan, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Patrícia Mees, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Helio Lourencini, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Victor Farjalla Pontes, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Señor Te, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Alexey Yakovlev, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: yakovlev.alexey from Moscow, Russia, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Jaime Torres /Archivo Centro Takiwasi, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: renjus box, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Gilmar R. Ferreira, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Eric Schmidt, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Gilmar R. Ferreira, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Laportea

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.