Myriocarpa longipes

Myriocarpa longipes is a woody plant in the nettle family, Urticaceae. It also goes by the common name chichicaste. Kew places its native range from Mexico to Colombia, plus Bolivia. Useful Tropical Plants gives a narrower range, from Mexico to Panama. It grows wild, but people also grow it in cultivation. The RHS confirms that it is not native to Britain or Ireland.

It forms a large shrub or a small tree. The reported usual height is about 10–20 feet [3–6 metres]. Exceptional plants can reach about 33 feet [10 metres]. Useful Tropical Plants also lists a general height of 16 feet [5 metres]. These figures describe its scale, but not a measured garden range. The sources give no spread or rate of growth. They offer no details of bark, leaf shape, or stem colour. They do note that the leaves can cause mild irritation.

This species grows in the wet tropics. Its wild sites include damp thickets, forests, and areas of second growth. One account records elevations of 656–8,530 feet [200–2,600 metres]. In Costa Rica, it occurs in evergreen forests on both coastal slopes. Those records extend from sea level to 3,609 feet [1,100 metres]. These habitats show its link with moist places across varied elevations. They do not establish its frost tolerance or exact garden water needs. The supplied sources give no hardiness zone or soil guidance.

Most plants bear male and female flowers on separate individuals. The botanical term for this arrangement is dioecious. Rare plants bear both sexes on the same individual, making them monoecious. Seed production therefore usually needs both male and female plants. Useful Tropical Plants lists seed as a means of propagation. It gives no sowing method, flowering season, or fruit description. The evidence also does not identify a pollinating agent.

People sometimes grow chichicaste as a hedge. They also gather wild plants for local medicinal use. A cited account records its use as a malaria remedy. That report does not establish that the treatment works or is safe. Useful Tropical Plants records no known food use. This does not prove that all parts are poisonous or safe. Mild leaf irritation remains the stated hazard. The supplied accounts name no pests or diseases.