Sphaerotylos medogensis C. J. Chen; Urtica pulcherrima Roxburgh (1832).

Small tree or shrubs, 2-6 m tall; branchlets and petioles densely appressed pubescent. Stipules triangular-ovate, 8-10 mm; petiole 2-6 cm; leaf blade lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, 12-22(-29) × 3-6(-9) cm, thinly leathery, basal-lateral veins reaching to apex, secondary veins 3 or 4 pairs, adaxial surface dark green, subglabrous, abaxial surface grayish tomentose and appressed pubescent on veins, base broadly cuneate or subrounded, margin serrulate, apex acuminate or long acuminate. Cymose panicles 7-9 cm; glomerules 2-4 mm in diam. Male flowers subsessile, ca. 0.8 mm in diam. Female flowers 0.3-0.5 mm. Achene ca. 0.5 mm. Fl. Apr-Jun, fr. Jun-Sep.

Tropical rain forests, open and damp secondary forests on floodplains; 800-1400 m. SE Xizang (Mêdog), NW Yunnan (Gongshan) [Bhutan, NE India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Sikkim, Thailand].