Sphedamnocarpus pruriens (A. Juss.) Szyszyl.
var. pruriens

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Road to Pokoteke Gorge, near Masvingo

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Synonyms:	Acridocarpus pruriens A. Juss.
Common names:	Canary nettle (English) Lesser moth-fruit creeper (English)
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Herbaceous or woody twiner or scrambler, sometimes trailing. Young stems densely silvery-grey or yellowish hairy, nearly hairless when older. Leaves opposite, 3.5-11 cm long, variable from ovate-oblong to almost circular, greyish or yellowish hairy beneath almost hairless above; margin entire; petiole mostly 0.8-2.5 cm long, channelled above, with 2 glands in the upper half. Stipules 2-4 mm long, obovate but mostly absent. Flowers 2-2.5 cm in diameter, yellow, in 2-6-flowered umbels. Fruit a samara, wings up to 2 × 1.5 cm, hairy to almost hairless.
Notes:	The hairs on the lower leaf surface are irritant and cause itching on the skin.
Derivation of specific name:	pruriens: causing itching
Habitat:	Open woodland and grassland.
Flowering time:	Jan - May
Worldwide distribution:	Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northwest, Northern Cape, South Africa.
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:	Coeliades forestan forestan (Food plant) Graphium angolanus angolanus (Food plant) Coeliades pisistratus (Larval foodplant)
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:	Bandeira, S., Bolnick, D. & Barbosa, F. (2007). Wild Flowers of Southern Mozambique Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique Page 98. As Sphedamnocarpus pruriens (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 52. Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 33. Fabian, A. & Germishuizen, G. (1997). Wild Flowers of Northern South Africa. Fernwood Press, Vlaeburg. Pages 210 - 211. (Includes a picture). Kirby, G. (2013). Wild Flowers of Southeast Botswana Struik Nature, Cape Town South Africa Page 195. (Includes a picture). Launert, E. (1963). Malpighiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 2(1) Pages 122 - 123. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 60. Plowes, D.C.H. & Drummond, R.B. (1990). Wild Flowers of Zimbabwe. Revised edition. Longman, Zimbabwe. No. 67, plate 93 Pooley, E. (1998). A Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Region. Natal Flora Publications Trust. Durban. Pages 276 - 277. (Includes a picture). Setshogo, M.P. (2005). Preliminary checklist of the plants of Botswana. Sabonet Report no. 37. Sabonet, Pretoria and Gaborone Page 83. Shone, D.K. & Drummond, R.B. (1965). Poisonous Plants of Rhodesia Ministry of Agriculture, Rhodesia Page 59.

Other sources of information about Sphedamnocarpus pruriens var. pruriens:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Sphedamnocarpus pruriens var. pruriens
Flora of Malawi: Sphedamnocarpus pruriens var. pruriens
Flora of Mozambique: Sphedamnocarpus pruriens var. pruriens
Flora of Zimbabwe: Sphedamnocarpus pruriens var. pruriens

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Sphedamnocarpus pruriens
African Plant Database: Sphedamnocarpus pruriens
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Sphedamnocarpus pruriens
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Sphedamnocarpus pruriens
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Sphedamnocarpus pruriens
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Sphedamnocarpus pruriens
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Sphedamnocarpus pruriens
JSTOR Plant Science: Sphedamnocarpus pruriens
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Sphedamnocarpus pruriens
Plants of the World Online: Sphedamnocarpus pruriens
Tropicos: Sphedamnocarpus pruriens
Wikipedia: Sphedamnocarpus pruriens