Pilea pumila

Scientific Name: Pilea pumila
Common Name: Canadian clearweed
Global Conservation Status: G5 - Secure

Clusters of tiny flowers at the base of paired leaves (not staggered along the stem) help identify Canadian clearweed.
Photographer: Ronald Kielb

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Canadian clearweed looks similar to the stinging Canadian wood-nettle. But they're easy to tell apart:

Canadian clearweed has:

  • leaves paired opposite one another on the stem (vs. Canadian wood-nettle's leaves staggered along the stem)
  • 3 major veins running nearly parallel down the length of its leaves (vs. Canadian wood-nettle's variable veins)
  • smooth stems (vs. Canadian wood-nettle's stinging hairs)

† The conservation status of a species is designated by a number from 1 (critically imperiled) to 5 (secure), preceded by a letter reflecting the geographic scale of the assessment (G = Global, S = Subnational). More information is available through NatureServe Explorer.