About Fatoua villosa (Thunb.) Nakai
Fatoua villosa is most commonly an annual herb, though it can grow as a perennial herb in the deep southern United States. Its entire surface is covered with a mix of glandular and recurved hairs, which makes the plant feel sticky to the touch. Its leaves have a similar shape to mulberry leaves, which is why it is commonly known as mulberry-weed. These leaves are heart-shaped, can grow up to 10 centimeters long, and have crenate margins. A pair of stipules grows at the base of each leaf. Fatoua villosa is a monoecious species, meaning individual plants bear separate male and female flowers on the same individual. Both male and female flowers grow grouped in axillary clusters. Its fruit produces a single seed, and the fruit explosively discharges the seed up to several meters away.
