I am using this page for British species which do not fit well into any of the other habitat categories I am using on this web-site. PARIETARIA DIFFUSA

The plant above sprouting of the base of a small tomb in a Buckinghamshire churchyard is 'Pellitory-of-the-Wall' (PARIETARIA DIFFUSA).

Druce, who knew this as 'Wall Pellitory' under the name of PARIETARIA JUDAICA, found it spread throughout all districts of Buckinghamshire on old walls and hedgebanks a century ago. 
A softly hairy perennial 30-100cm; stems terete, much-branched, spreading or decumbent, usually reddish - to be honest, not particularly attractive, as is often the case with members of URTICACE, the Nettle family 
Inflorescence cymose, axillary, cymes clustered, dichotomous, 3-several-flowered 
Flowers usually unisexual; female flowers terminal; male flowers lateral, surrounded by a calyx-like involucre of 1 bract and 2 bracteoles 
Leaves up to c. 7cm, lanceolate to ovate, obtuse to acuminate; petiole shorter than blade, slender 
Under surface of leaf - with a lot of insect life! 
Upper surface of bract 
Under surface of bract 
Reddish stems ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|