Elatostema

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title: "Elatostema" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["elatostema", "urticaceae-genera"] description: "Genus of flowering plants" topic_path: "general/elatostema" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elatostema" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Genus of flowering plants ::

|image = Elatostema umbellatum 2006.04.19 06.17.14-p4190208.jpg |image_caption = Elatostema involucratum |taxon = Elatostema |authority = J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. |subdivision_ranks = Species |subdivision = See text

Elatostema is a genus of flowering plants containing approximately 350 known species in the nettle family Urticaceae, native to tropical forest clearings throughout Australasia, Asia and Africa. There may be as many as 1,000 species of this little-known genus, which is susceptible to deforestation and other forms of human exploitation. Some species, for instance the recently discovered E. fengshanense, show unusual adaptations to growing in deep shade in caves. DNA analysis suggests that the three genera Elastostema, Pellionia, and Pilea be grouped together as one.

Elatostema repens and E. pulchra are cultivated as houseplants in temperate regions. E. repens and E. repens var. pulchrum{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/118664/i-Elatostema-repens-i-var-i-pulchrum-i/Details | title = RHS Plantfinder - Elatostema repens var. pulchrum | access-date = 14 February 2018}} have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Selected species

• Elatostema backeri
• Elatostema fengshanense
• Elatostema grande – Lord Howe Island
• Elatostema lineolatum
• Elatostema malipoense
• Elatostema montanum – Norfolk Island
• Elatostema pleiophlebium
• Elatostema pulchra
• Elatostema repens
• Elatostema reticulatum – Qld, NSW, Australia
• Elatostema rugosum
• Elatostema stipitatum – Qld, NSW, Australia
• Elatostema umbellatum

References

References

1. Wei. (2009). "A New Species of ''Elatostema''(Urticaceae) from Guangxi Province, China". Harvard Papers in Botany.
2. (2008). "RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants". Dorling Kindersley.
3. "Discover | Natural History Museum".
4. "RHS Plantfinder -".
5. (July 2017). "AGM Plants - Ornamental". Royal Horticultural Society.
6. (2011). "Two new species of Elatostema (Urticaceae) from southeast Yunnan, China". PhytoKeys.

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