Pellitory facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pellitory
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Urticaceae
Genus:	Parietaria
Species:	P. debilis
Binomial name
Parietaria debilis G.Forst
Synonyms
Parietaria micrantha Ledeb.

Parietaria debilis, also known as pellitory or native pellitory, is a small plant that grows naturally in Australia and New Zealand. It is a type of herb and is quite common in many places.

What Does Pellitory Look Like?

This plant is an annual herb, which means it usually lives for about one year. It grows between 7 and 40 centimeters tall, which is about the length of a school ruler.

Pellitory has small flowers that can be green or white. Some of its flowers have both male and female parts, while others have only male or only female parts.

How Pellitory Got Its Name

A scientist named Georg Forster first officially described this plant in 1786. He found a sample of it in New Zealand.

Over the years, a couple of other scientists tried to put pellitory into different plant groups. However, these changes were not accepted, and the plant kept its original name, Parietaria debilis.

Where Does Pellitory Grow?

Pellitory is native to both Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, you can find it in many temperate areas, which means places with mild climates. It grows in every state and territory there.

This plant likes to grow in places where the soil drains well. It especially likes soils that contain calcium (like limestone).