Species
Parietaria judaica
Common Name(s)
Pellitory of the wall, Asthma weed
Authority
Parietaria judaica L.
Family
Urticaceae
Flora Category
Vascular - Exotic
PARJUD
The
National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
Structural Class
Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites
Habitat
Grows in cracks in rocks and pathways and on walls (hence its name).
Features
Perennial herb with spreading to erect stems up to 80 (occasionally up to 100) cm long. Stems are reddish to green. Leaves 1.5 – 9 cm long, lanceolate, ovate or rhombic, hairy on both surfaces, strongly veined; leaf stalk 1–1.5 cm long. Single seeded dry fruit (achene) maturing dark brown to black, hard, 1–1.2 mm long and 0.6–0.9 mm wide. It is distinguished by irregularly curled hairs on leaves and stems; axillary flower clusters along much of the stem; stigma on a long style.
Similar Taxa
It is commonly confused with Parietaria debilis (native to NZ) and Parietaria officinalis (naturalised in NZ) both of which are annuals having mostly ovate leaves and almost stalkless (sessile) stigmas.
Flower Colours
Red / Pink,White
Year Naturalised
1946
Origin
S. and W. Europe, N. Africa to C. Asia
Dispersal
Spreads mainly by movement of seed, particularly when attached to animals, machinery and people. Some localised spread occurs by root pieces.
This page last updated on 3 Dec 2013