Latin pileus—cap, alluding to the shape of the female flowers.
Annual or perennial herbs, rarely shrubby, without stinging hairs. Leaves opposite, obovate, opposite pairs often of unequal size, toothed or entire, occasionally fleshy, mostly with 3 main veins from the base; stipules present. Sexes on same or different plants. Flowers unisexual, small and in axillary clusters. Male flowers with 4 perianth segments, with protuberances. Female flowers with 3 unequal perianth segments; stigma brush-like. Fruit an achene enclosed in the perianth.
Generally grown as indoor plants for foliage textures and colours; especially popular in hanging baskets.
Cuttings.
About 650 species of tropical and warm temperate regions.
Killip (1939).
Source: (1997). Urticaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 2. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 1. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.
