About Elatostema reticulatum Wedd.
Elatostema reticulatum, commonly known as rainforest spinach, is a species of plant in the nettle family Urticaceae. It is endemic to eastern regions of Queensland and New South Wales in Australia. It is a coarse, straggly herb that grows 50–100 cm (20–39 in) high, and may form dense mats across the forest floor. It favors wet shaded areas in rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest, and is often found within and alongside streams, as well as on wet rock faces. Its natural distribution extends from near Batemans Bay in the south to the ranges and tablelands near Cairns in the north. This species was first formally described in 1854 by English-French botanist Hugh Algernon Weddell, who published the description in the journal Annales des Sciences Naturelles. Its specific epithet reticulatum refers to the prominent reticulate venation of its leaves. Joan Cribb suggests that the stems and young leaves of this plant are edible, and that they have a better taste than spinach.
