Pouzolzia Explained

Pouzolzia is a genus of flowering plants in the nettle family. There are about 35 species distributed throughout the tropical world.^[1] Most are shrubs, and some are herbs. The genus was named for French botanist and plant collector Pierre Marie Casimir de Pouzolz (1785–1858).^{[2] [3]}

Pouzolzia hirta is used as a medicinal herb, as well as for culinary purposes, in various African and Asian countries.^[4]

People from different tribes of the state of Arunachal Pradesh in India use Poulzolozia hirta, known as "Oyik" in the local dialect, as a part of a main food course which is consumed along with rice. Oyik is prepared with smoked beef/Gayal meat (Bos frontalis) or pork, along with dried bamboo shoots, and served at various occasions and festivals.

Selected species

The following species are included:^[1]

Section Pouzolzia Gaudich. 1830

New World Species

The following species are found in the New World:

• Pouzolzia formicaria (Wedd.) Wedd. 1857
• Pouzolzia guatemalana (Blume) Wedd. 1869
  • var. guatemalana (Blume) Wedd. 1869
  • var. nivea (S. Watson) Friis & Wilmot-Dear 1996
• Pouzolzia laevis (Wedd.) Wedd. 1869
• Pouzolzia latistipula Friis & Wilmot-Dear 1996
• Pouzolzia longipes Killip 1937
• Pouzolzia nudiflora (Willd.) Friis & Wilmot-Dear 1996
• Pouzolzia obliqua (Wedd.) Wedd. 1857
• Pouzolzia occidentalis (Liebm.) Wedd. 1857
  • var. occidentalis (Liebm.) Wedd. 1857
  • var. palmeri (Liebm.) Friis & Wilmot-Dear 1996
• Pouzolzia parasitica (Forssk.) Schweinf. 1896
• Pouzolzia poeppigiana (Wedd.) Killip 1937
• Pouzolzia pringlei Greenm. 1898
• Pouzolzia purpusii Brandegee 1924
• Pouzolzia scaberrima Killip 1934
• Pouzolzia zeylanica (L.) Benn. 1838

Old World Species

The following species are found in the Old World:^[5]

• Pouzolzia arachnoidea (Walp.) Wedd. 1869
• Pouzolzia australis (Endl.) Friis & Wilmot-Dear 2004
• Pouzolzia boiviniana (Blume) Wedd. 1857

• Pouzolzia cymosa Wight 1853
• Pouzolzia denudata De Wild. & Th. Dur. 1900
• Pouzolzia fadenii Friis & Jellis 1984
• Pouzolzia gaudichaudii Leandri 1951
• Pouzolzia guineensis Benth. 1849
• Pouzolzia herpetophyton Friis & Wilmot-Dear 2004

• Pouzolzia laevigata (Poir.) Gaudich. 1830
• Pouzolzia mandrarensis Leandri 1951
• Pouzolzia mixta Solms 1864
  • var. mixta Solms 1864
  • var. shirensis (Rendle) Friis & Wilmot-Dear 2004
• Pouzolzia niveotomentosa W. T. Wang 1981
• Pouzolzia parasitica (Forssk.) Schweinf. 1896
• Pouzolzia rubricaulis (Blume) Wedd. 1869
• Pouzolzia sanguinea (Blume) Merrill 1921
  • var. cinerascens (Blume) Friis & Wilmot-Dear 2004
  • var. formosana (Li) Friis & Wilmot-Dear 2004
  • var. fulgens (Wedd.) Hara 1975
  • var. sanguinea (Blume) Merrill 1921
• Pouzolzia thailandica Friis & Wilmot-Dear 2004
• Pouzolzia tsaratananensis Friis & Wilmot-Dear 2004
• Pouzolzia variifolia Friis & Wilmot-Dear 2004
• Pouzolzia weddellii Leandri 1951
• Pouzolzia zeylandica (L.) Benn. & R. Br. 1838
  • var. calcicola Friis & Wilmot-Dear 2004
  • var. zeylandica (L.) Benn. & R. Br. 1838
• Pouzolzia friisii A.Gupta & V.Wagh, 2024

Section Memorialis Benn. & R. Br. 1838

• Pouzolzia hirta (Blume) Hassk. 1844
  • var. hirta (Blume) Hassk. 1844
  • var. parvifolia (Wight) Friis & Wilmot-Dear 2004
• Pouzolzia pentandra (Roxb.) Benn. & R. Br. 1838
  • subsp. pentandra (Roxb.) Benn. & R. Br. 1838
  • subsp. wightii (Benn. & R. Br.) Friis & Wilmot-Dear 2004
    • var. gracilis (Miq.) Friis & Wilmot-Dear 2004
    • var. wightii (Benn. & R. Br.) Friis & Wilmot-Dear 2004
• Pouzolzia peteri Friis 1987

Incertae sedis

• Pouzolzia floresiana Friis & Wilmot-Dear 2012^[6]
• Pouzolzia rugulosa (Wedd.) Acharya & Kravtsova 2009^[7]

External links

• Flora of Pakistan

Notes and References

1. Kravtsova TI. etal. 2003 . Morphology and anatomy of fruits in Pouzolzia (Urticaceae) in relation to taxonomy . . 58 . 2 . 297–327 . 10.2307/4120618. 4120618. 2003KewBu..58..297K .
2. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=126661 Flora of North America
3. Web site: Pouzolz, Pierre Marie Casmir de . Index of Botanists . Harvard University Herbarium . January 17, 2012.
4. Grubben, G. J. H. (2004). Vegetables. PROTA. pg 430.
5. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=126661 Flora of China
6. Wilmot-Dear CM, Friis I . 2012 . Pouzolzia floresiana (Urticaceae), a new species from Flores, Nusa Tenggara Timur (Lesser Sunda Islands), Indonesia . Edinburgh Journal of Botany . 69 . 2 . 293–299 . 10.1017/S0960428612000121.
7. Wilmot-Dear CM, Acharya N, Kravtsova TI, Friis I . 2009 . Pouzolzia rugulosa transferred from Boehmeria, and the distinction between Boehmeria and Pouzolzia (Urticaceae) . Edinburgh Journal of Botany . 66 . 1 . 51–64 . 10.1017/S096042860900523X. free .