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• All other flowering non-woody plants
• All other herbaceous, flowering dicots
• Laportea canadensis

Laportea canadensis — Canada wood-nettle

Facts

Canada wood-nettle is a native species, unlike the rather similar stinging nettle (Urica dioica). But Canada wood-nettle has alternate leaves while stinging nettle's leaves are opposite. But like stinging nettle, wood-nettle packs an uncomfortable sting.

Habitat

Floodplain (river or stream floodplains), forests

Characteristics

• Clonal plantlets

  Bulbils

  the plant does not appear to have bulbils

  Bulblets replace flowers

  there are no bulblets where the flowers are located

• Flowers

  Anther attachment

  the anther is attached by its base to the filament

  Anther color

  the anthers show no hint of a pink, reddish or purplish tint

  Anther opening

  the anthers have narrow slits or furrows that run lengthwise along the anthers

  Anther spurs

  the anthers do not have spurs on them

  Anther tube length

  0 mm

  Calyx growth after flowering

  the calyx grows to cover or partially cover the fruit

  Calyx symmetry

  • there are two or more ways to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is radially symmetrical)
  • there is only one way to evenly divide the calyx (the calyx is bilaterally symmetrical)

  Carpels fused

  • NA
  • the carpel is solitary or (if 2 or more) the carpels are not fused to one another

  Cilia on petals

  NA

  Cleistogamous flowers

  there are no cleistogamous flowers on the plan

  Corolla morphology

  NA

  Corolla palate

  NA

  Corona lobe length

  0 mm

  Epicalyx

  the flower does not have an epicalyx

  Epicalyx number of parts

  0

  Filament surface

  • NA
  • the filament is smooth, with no hairs or scales

  Flower description

  the flower has a superior ovary, and lacks a hypanthium

  Flower diameter

  0.5–1.5 mm

  Flower petal color

  NA

  Flower reproductive parts

  the flower has either only pollen- or only seed-producing parts

  Flower symmetry

  • there are two or more ways to evenly divide the flower (the flower is radially symmetrical)
  • there is only one way to evenly divide the flower (the flower is bilaterally symmetrical)

  Flowers sunken into stem

  no

  Form of style

  the style is narrow at the tip and unbranched

  Fringed petal edges

  NA

  Fused stamen clusters

  NA

  Fusion of sepals and petals

  both the petals and sepals are separate and not fused

  Horns in hoods (Asclepias)

  NA

  Hypanthium

  the flower does not have a hypanthium

  Hypanthium length

  0 mm

  Inner tepals (Rumex)

  NA

  Length of flower stalk

  At least 0 mm

  Marks on petals

  NA

  Nectar spur

  the flower has no nectar spurs

  Number of branches in umbel

  0

  Number of carpels

  1

  Number of pistils

  1

  Number of sepals, petals or tepals

  • there are five petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
  • there are four petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
  • there are three petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower
  • there are two petals, sepals, or tepals in the flower

  Number of styles

  1

  Ovary position

  the ovary is above the point of petal and/or sepal attachment

  Perianth shape

  the perianth is cupuliform (cup-shaped)

  Petal and sepal arrangement

  the flower includes only one cycle of petals or sepals

  Petal and sepal colors

  • green to brown
  • white

  Petal appearance

  NA

  Petal base

  NA

  Petal folding in bud

  NA

  Petal folds or pleats

  NA

  Petal glandular dots or scales

  NA

  Petal hairs (Viola)

  NA

  Petal hairs on inner/upper surface

  NA

  Petal length

  0 mm

  Petal length relative to sepals

  NA

  Petal nectaries

  NA

  Petal number

  0

  Petal shape

  NA

  Petal tip shape

  NA

  Petal tips (Cuscuta)

  NA

  Petal width

  0 mm

  Raceme attachment (Veronica)

  NA

  Reproductive system

  each flower has only carpels or only stamens, but both types of flower are present on each plant (monoecious)

  Scales inside corolla

  NA

  Sepal and petal color

  NA

  Sepal appearance

  the sepals are green or brown, and leaf-like in texture

  Sepal appendages

  the sepals do not have appendages on them

  Sepal appendages (Oenothera)

  NA

  Sepal auricles

  the sepals have no auricles

  Sepal color

  • green to brown
  • white

  Sepal features

  NA

  Sepal number

  2–5

  Sepal orientation

  • the sepals are pressed against the corolla, or jutting stiffly upward
  • the sepals are slightly curved outwards from the corolla

  Sepal relative length

  NA

  Sepal shape

  the sepal outline is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)

  Sepal texture

  the sepals are either very thin but flexible, like a membrane, or they are leaf-like in texture

  Sepal tip shape

  • the sepal tip is acute (is sharply pointed)
  • the sepal tip is obtuse (is bluntly pointed)

  Sepal uniformity

  • all the sepals are about the same size
  • one or more of the sepals is much narrower or shorter than the others

  Sepals fused only to sepals

  the sepals are separate from one another

  Spur length

  0 mm

  Spur number

  NA

  Stamen appendages

  stamen appendages are absent

  Stamen attachment

  the stamens are not attached to the petals or tepals

  Stamen lengths differ

  the stamens are all approximately the same length

  Stamen morphology

  the stamens within each cycle are the same

  Stamen number

  5

  Stamen position relative to petals

  the stamens are lined up with the sepals

  Stamen relative length

  anything

  Stamens fused

  the stamens are not attached to one another

  Staminodes

  there are no staminodes on the flower

  Stigma position

  the stigmas are positioned on the inner surface of the style

  Style length

  3–4 mm

  Style relative length

  NA

  Umbel flower reproductive parts

  NA

  Upper lip of bilabiate corolla

  NA

• Fruits or seeds

  Achene relative orientation

  the achenes are perpendicular to the plane of the perianth (vertical)

  Achene shape

  the achenes are circular in outline

  Achene surface (Polygonum)

  NA

  Achene type

  the fruit is an achene (dry, indehiscent, and usually one-seeded)

  Berry color

  NA

  Capsule color (Viola)

  NA

  Capsule ribs

  NA

  Capsule splitting

  NA

  Carpel beak length

  0 mm

  Fruit (pyxis) dehiscence

  NA

  Fruit cross-section

  the fruit is at least somewhat flattened

  Fruit features (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Fruit length

  2–3 mm

  Fruit length relative to sepals

  the fruit is longer than its associated sepals

  Fruit locules

  one

  Fruit shape

  the fruit is flat or strongly compressed

  Fruit type (general)

  the fruit is dry but does not split open when ripe

  Fruit type (specific)

  the fruit is an achene (dry, usually one-seeded, does not separate or split open at maturity)

  Legumes (Fabaceae)

  NA

  Mericarp length

  0 mm

  Mericarp segment shape (Desmodium)

  NA

  Other markings on berry

  NA

  Ovary stipe

  the ovary or fruit does not have a stipe

  Ovary stipe length

  0 mm

  Placenta arrangement

  the plant has basal placentation, where one or a few ovules develop at the base of a simple or compound ovary

  Rows of seeds in fruit (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  Schizocarpic fruit compression

  NA

  Schizocarpic fruit segments

  0

  Seed number

  1

  Seed relative length

  the seed is longer than it is wide

  Seed surface

  the seed is smooth or without clear markings

  Seeds comose

  no hairs

  Septum in fruit (Brassicaceae)

  NA

  prickles on fruits

  the fruits do not have thorn-like defensive structures

• Glands or sap

  Glands on leaf blade

  the leaf blades do not have glandular dots or scales

  Sap

  the sap is clear and watery

  Sap color

  the sap is clear

• Growth form

  Growth form

  the plant is an herb (it has self-supporting stems)

  Horizontal rooting stem

  the plant does not have stolons

  Lifespan

  the plant lives more than two years

  Parasitism

  the plant is not parasitic

  Plant color

  the leaves or young stems of the plant are green

  Plants darken when dry

  no

  Spines on plant

  there are spines on the plant

  Underground organs

  • the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
  • the plant has one or more swollen storage organs underground, such as bulbs, tubers or corms
  • there are only slender roots on the plant

• Leaves

  Bracteole number (Apiaceae)

  0

  Bracts in plantain (Plantago)

  NA

  Final leaf segment length (compound lvs only)

  0 mm

  Final leaf segment length to width ratio (compound lvs only)

  0

  Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)

  0 mm

  Floral bract texture

  NA

  Floral bracts

  the flower does not have bracts

  Flower bract length

  0 mm

  Hairs on underside of leaf

  • the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
  • the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs

  Hairs on upper side of leaf

  • the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
  • the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or it has very few hairs

  Hooked hairs on underside of leaf

  no

  Inflated hairs on leaf

  the leaf blade does not have inflated hairs on it

  Leaf arrangement

  alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem

  Leaf blade base

  the leaf has a distinct leaf stalk (petiole)

  Leaf blade base shape

  • the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
  • the base of the leaf blade is rounded
  • the base of the leaf blade is truncate (ends abruptly in a more or less straight line as though cut off)

  Leaf blade base symmetry

  the leaf blade base is symmetrical

  Leaf blade bloom

  the underside of the leaf has no noticeable bloom

  Leaf blade edges

  the edge of the leaf blade has teeth

  Leaf blade flatness

  the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges

  Leaf blade hairs

  • the leaf blade has hairs with glands at their tips
  • the leaf blade has simple hairs with no glands, and not tangled or wooly

  Leaf blade length

  60–300 mm

  Leaf blade primary vein pattern

  the secondary veins branch off at intervals from the primary vein

  Leaf blade shape

  the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)

  Leaf blade surface colors

  the upper side of the leaf blade is relatively uniform in color

  Leaf blade texture

  the leaf blade is scarious (thin and dry like paper) or membranaceous (thin and flexible and almost translucent like a membrane)

  Leaf blade vein pattern

  the major veins of the leaf blade branch, but do not rejoin

  Leaf blade veins

  the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base towards the tip (it may or may not have secondary veins)

  Leaf blade width

  30–180 mm

  Leaf duration

  the leaves drop off in winter (or they whither but persist on the plant)

  Leaf form

  the leaves are green, with an expanded blade and a leaf-like texture

  Leaf hair orientation

  the hairs are flat against the leaf surface, mostly pointing towards the leaf tip

  Leaf sheath length

  0 mm

  Leaf shiny

  the upper side of the leaf is dull or slightly shiny

  Leaf spines

  there are no spines on the leaf edges

  Leaf stalk

  the leaves have leaf stalks

  Leaf stalk attachment to leaf

  the petiole attaches at the basal margin of the leaf blade

  Leaf stalk base

  the petiole base is narrow where it attaches to the stem

  Leaf teeth and lobes

  the leaf blade margin has forward-pointing teeth

  Leaf tip

  the tip of the leaf blade is acuminate (tapers to a long, thin point)

  Leaf tufts in axils

  there are no clusters of smaller leaves growing out of axils

  Leaf type

  the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)

  Leaf types

  • NA
  • There is an abrupt change in appearance of the leaves from the base (or near the base) of the plant to those from further up on the stem, with the basal leaves of conspicuously different shape or form than those slightly higher up.

  Leaf variation

  the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem

  Leaflet number

  0

  Leaflet petiolules

  NA

  Leaves per node

  there is one leaf per node along the stem

  Pinnately compound leaf type

  NA

  Specific leaf type

  the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)

  Stipels

  NA

  Stipule features

  NA

  Stipule fused to leaf stalk

  the stipules are fused to the petioles for some or most of their length

  Stipules

  the plant has stipules

• Place

  Habitat

  • terrestrial
  • wetlands

  New England state

  • Connecticut
  • Maine
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont

  Specific habitat

  • forests
  • river or stream floodplains

• Scent

  Plant odor

  the plant does not have much of a smell

• Stem, shoot, branch

  Branched tendrils

  NA

  Direction of stem hairs

  the hairs point mostly upwards to outwards

  Flowering stem cross-section

  the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles so that it is roughly circular

  Hair between stem nodes

  the stem has hairs between the nodes

  Hairs between stem nodes

  • at least some of the hairs on the stem have glands
  • the hairs on the stem are plain, without glands or branches, and not tangled

  Hooked hairs on stem between nodes

  no

  Leaves on stem

  there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem

  Plant height

  30–150 cm

  Stem bloom

  there is no powdery or waxy film on the stem

  Stem hair distribution

  the hairs on the stem are distributed more of less uniformly

  Stem nodes swollen

  the stem is not swollen at the nodes

  Stem orientation

  the stems are upright or angled outwards

  Stem roughness between nodes

  the stem does not feel rough

  Stem spacing

  the plant is solitary, or a few plants are growing together

  Stem succulence

  the stems are not succulent

  Tendril origin

  NA

  Tendrils

  the plant does not have tendrils

  Wings on stem

  the stem does not have wings on it

Wetland status

Usually occurs in wetlands, but occasionally in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: FACW)

New England distribution and conservation status

From the dichotomous key of Flora Novae Angliae