Botanical name: Laportea aestuans    Family: Urticaceae (Nettle family)
Synonyms: Urtica aestuans,

West-Indian Woodnettle is a little-branched, annual plant usually growing up to 1 m tall, occasionally to 3 m. The stem is fleshy, becoming slightly woody at the base, and the whole plant is densely covered with stinging hairs. Leaves are broadly ovate to nearly round, 9-20 x 6-16 cm, base rounded or abruptly narrowed, eared, margins regularly sawtoothed or toothed, tip short-tapering. Flower clusters have both male and female flowers in same panicle, or proximal panicles with male flowers. Male flowers are about 2 mm across; tepals 4-5, equal in length; stamens 4-5, opposite tepals; filaments longer than tepals. Female flowers are about 0.7 mm; tepals 2-4, appressed. Seedpods are strongly compressed, round, about 0.9 × 1.3 mm. The slightly mucilaginous leaves are often eaten as a vegetable and in soups. West-Indian Woodnettle is found in India, Tropical Africa and Tropical America.
Medicinal uses: West-Indian Woodnettle is widely used in African traditional medicine. The leaves are diuretic and laxative. They are often eaten as a vegetable or in a soup to treat digestive disorders including stomach aches, indigestion and constipation. An infusion of the leaf is taken for the treatment of urine retention, bed wetting, haemorrhages, filariasis, rheumatism and menopausal disorders.

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The flower labeled West-Indian Woodnettle is ...