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| Laportea canadensis (L.) Weddell | Species Image Gallery (opens in a new window) |
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| TAXONOMY | |||||||||||||||
| Family: | Urticaceae | ||||||||||||||
| Genus: | Laportea | ||||||||||||||
| Species Synonyms: | Urtica canadensis L. Urticastrum divaricatum (L.) Kuntze |
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| Common Names: | Canada wood-nettle | ||||||||||||||
| DISTRIBUTION | |||||||||||||||
| Canada: | southeastern Saskatchewan – southern Manitoba – Ontario – Quebec – New Brunswick – Nova Scotia | ||||||||||||||
| Saskatchewan: | southeastern Saskatchewan; Souris River Valley | ||||||||||||||
| Ecoregion: | Moist Mixed Grassland, Aspen Parkland | ||||||||||||||
| HABITAT | |||||||||||||||
| Saskatchewan: | moist, shaded, river floodplains in deciduous woods | ||||||||||||||
| Associated Species: | Carex assiniboinensis, Carex sprengellii, Oxalis stricta, Mentha arvensis, Scutellaria lateriflora, Urtica dioica | ||||||||||||||
| RARITY STATUS | |||||||||||||||
| Provincial
Status According to Harms (2003): |
Threatened |
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| Nature Conservancy Status: | G5 S2 |
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| Saskatchewan
Species at Risk Status: |
None |
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| COSEWIC Status: | None |
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| Laportea canadensis is threatened because it is rare or uncommon in Saskatchewan. This species is regionally restricted to the southeastern corner of the province. Possible threats are inferred by occurrences in heavy populated areas, fragile habitats, or occurrence in areas of possible planned developments. | |||||||||||||||
| SPECIES DESCRIPTION | |||||||||||||||
| Height: | 30 – 150 cm | ||||||||||||||
| Roots: | roots tuberous; rhizomes present | ||||||||||||||
| Stems: | perennial, stinging and non-stinging hairs present, stipitate-glandular hairs absent | ||||||||||||||
| Leaves: | alternate, long-petiolate, blades 6 – 30 cm long, 3 – 20 cm wide, narrowly to broadly ovate, base rounded to cuneate, apex acuminate, margin serrate | ||||||||||||||
| Inflorescence: | of paniculately arranged cymes, monoecious, staminate and pistillate flowers in separate panicles, lower panicles staminate, upper panicles pistillate | ||||||||||||||
| Flowers: | staminate flowers with tepals 5, stamens 5, filaments slightly longer than tepals; pistillate flowers with tepals 2 – 4, ovary compressed and nearly orbicular, style 3 – 4 mm, persistent and feathery | ||||||||||||||
| Fruits: | achenes strongly compressed, orbicular, not enclosed in calyx | ||||||||||||||
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