1973.000 Cannabis L.

Erect annual, aromatic, herbs, dioecious with male and female plants dimorphic, or rarely monoecious; indumentum of most parts consisting of minute appressed swollen-based hairs. Leaves alternate or opposite at the stem base, palmately lobed or digitately compound; leaflets uneven in size, with serrate margins; stipules lateral, persistent. Male inflorescences laxly cymose-paniculate, bristly-hairy, exceeding the leaves but bearing a few scattered leaves; flowers numerous, shortly pedicellate; perianth lobes free, boat-shaped, spreading or reflexed. Female inflorescences short, compact, not exceeding the leaves; flowers fewer, paired, each subtended by a stipule-like bract and a small green “bracteole” or “calyx” which completely envelopes the ovary and loosely encloses the mature fruit, this enveloping bracteole forming a basally swollen tubular sheath narrowly attenuate at the apex and covered with fine hairs and shortly-stalked or sessile, resinous glands; perianth membranous, undivided, tightly enveloping the ovary and mature fruit (often reduced or absent in cultivated forms), marbled with light and dark areas. Fruit a globular to ovoid achene tightly covered by the thin crustaceous perianth, the reticulate venation of the surface visible beneath the perianth. Embryo strongly curved, cotyledons fleshy. Easily identified by the light and dark patterning of the perianth layer (where this is present) surrounding the fruit.

Worldwide: 2 genera and c. 4 species in temperate parts of the northern hemisphere extending to SE Asia.

Malawi: 1 taxon.