Small stinging nettle
Pouzolzia parasitica

Family: Urticaceae

What it is like

A scrambling herb or shrub. It grows 1 m tall from a woody rhizome or underground stem. It is hairy on stems and leaves. The leaf stalks are slender. They are 6 cm long. The leaf blades are oval and narrow towards the tip. There are teeth along the edge. The leaves are 13 cm long by 6 cm wide. The flowers are in dense clusters. They are in the axils of leaves.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows between 1,000-1,500 m above sea level. It is rare in Swaziland. It grows in higher rainfall woodland. It is often on termite mounds. It is often in shade.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Cameroon, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Middle East, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The leaves are boiled and eaten but are tasteless.

It is a famine food.

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Gwikwitima, Kanyandee, Kleinbrandnetel, Makhuluwadzaluma, Qannata, Zombodze-mandundu

Synonyms

Pouzoliza procridioides (Wedd.) Wedd.; Urtica parasitica Forssk.;