Pilea pumila (L.) A. Gray

Canadian Clearweed; Green Fruit Clearweed; Coolwort

Herb

Annual

Vascular

Canadian Clearweed is a native herbaceous annual in the Nettle family (Urticaceae). It is native to Asia and eastern North America. In Alabama it is found throughout the state. Canadian Clearweed occurs in moist shaded woods, along streams, and in swamps. It is an annual with erect, glabrous stems 6-15 inches in height. The roots are fibrous and shallow, with adventitious roots often forming near the base of the stem. Both the stems and leaves are translucent and bright green in color. Leaves are opposite, petiolate, elliptic to elliptic to ovate in outline, with toothed margins. The veins of the leaves are depressed, giving the leaf a wrinkled appearance. Flowers are produced in compact to lax cymes in the upper leaf axils. The flowers are unisexual, with both staminate and pistillate flowers in the same cyme. Individual flowers are inconspicuous with 3 or 4 greenish-whitish tepals. The fruit is a green achene with purple streaks. Canadian Clearweed is often mistaken for stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), but lacks the stinging hairs. Native Americans used the watery sap medicinally to alleviate itching. Canadian Clearweed is a larval food plant for the Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma), Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) and Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) butterflies.—A. Diamond.

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Native

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