Common name: Mulberry Weed
Fatoua villosa (Murray) Nakai APNI* Synonyms: Fatoua pilosa Gaudich. APNI*
Fatoua japonica Blume APNI*
Description: Annual herbs to 80 cm tall, tap-rooted; stems erect, pubescent with recurved hairs and cystoliths; sap not milky.
Leaves ovate to broadly ovate, 2.5–10 cm long, 1–7 cm wide, margins crenate-dentate, papery; upper and lower surfaces appressed-hirsute; apex acute to acuminate, base cordate to truncate and decurrent on petiole; petiole puberulous, 1–6 cm long, ± as long as leaf blade; stipules linear to linear-lanceolate, 1.8–2.5 mm long, subpersistent.
Inflorescences cymose, c. 4–8 mm wide, subtended by narrow bract; peduncle 1–2 cm long. Flowers light green, staminate and pistillate in same cyme. Staminate flowers: calyx campanulate, stamens exserted. Pistillate flowers: calyx boat-shaped, ovary ± depressed globose, puberulent, somewhat depressed in axils; style reddish purple, filiform.
Achenes white, ovoid, 3-angled, c. 0.8 mm long, minutely muricate, with 2 triangular, membranous appendages. Seeds explosively expelled.
Distribution and occurrence: Native of eastern Asia to northern Australia. Sparingly naturalised, potential weed escaping from greenhouses and gardens. Plants recorded from near Brisbane, and in N.S.W. from Taree and the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney. Naturalised in the eastern U.S.A.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC
Text by S F McCune (July 2021)
Taxon concept: Flora North America vol 3 (1997)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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