Hairy crabweed
Fatoua villosa

Family: Moraceae

What it is like

A herb which grows from seed each year. It is 30-80 cm high. The stems are green when young. It has few branches. The leaf stalk is hairy. The leaf blade is oval and 5-10 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. The leaf is like a membrane. The base is heart shaped and clings to the leaf stalk. There are teeth along the edge. Flowers are of 2 sexes. The fruit is dry and oval and 3 angled. It is about 1 mm across.

There are 2 Fatoua species.

Where it is found

A tropical and subtropical plant. It grows in scrub and waste grassy areas in S China.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, North America, Pacific, Philippines, New Guinea, SE Asia, Taiwan, USA

How it is used for food

Young plant is well cooked and eaten as famine food.

Edible parts

Plant

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Shui se ma

Synonyms

Urtica villosa Thunb.; Fatoua japonica (Thunb.) Blume nom illeg.; Urtica japonica Thunb.;