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habit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)
habit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)
large leaves (Photo: Sheldon Navie)
stem and leaf stalks (Photo: Sheldon Navie)
close-up of younger leaves with crinkled margins (Photo: Sheldon Navie)
flower clusters (Photo: Sheldon Navie)
mature fruit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)
young plants growing from root suckers (Photo: Sheldon Navie)
Scientific Name
Wigandia urens (Ruiz & Pav.) Kunth var. caracasana (Kunth) D. Gibson
Synonyms
Hydrolea urens Ruiz & Pav.Wigandia caracasana Kunth
Family
Hydrophyllaceae
Common Names
Caracus wigandia, stinging tree, wigandia
Origin
Native to Mexico, Central America (i.e. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras) and tropical South America (i.e. Venezuela and Colombia).
Naturalised Distribution
Locally naturalised is some parts of southern Australia (i.e. near Perth in south-western Western Australia and in south-eastern South Australia). Also sparingly naturalised in south-eastern Queensland.
Also naturalised overseas in south-western USA (i.e. southern California), south-western Europe (i.e. Portugal), the Canary Islands, South Africa and New Zealand.
Notes
Wigandia (Wigandia urens var. caracasana) is regarded as an environmental weed in Western Australia.