I found it growing along the road by a bus stop, in a rainforest area of Paraty, Brazil. The plant was about 60cm tall (flower stalks included). Maybe someone has a clue?

It looks like a Brillantaisia....possibly Brillantaisia lamium?
I've only grown Brillantaisia subulugurica and it looks similar to your photo but lacks the hairy petioles.

It does look like some type of Brilantaisia: http://keyserver.lucidcentral....

Definitely a Brillantaisia sp., thanks Danita, that is already a great help, with that I can do a further search!

Cross-posted Lin, thanks for the link!

'Flora do Brasil' doesn't record any of the Brillantaisia sps. but as it is native to tropical Africa it could well have been 'imported' seen the history of the country..
I'll look further into it tomorrow..

I saw some mentions of Brillantaisia lamium being a weed is some places but didn't research it further.

Brillantaisia lamium does look correct! Great job Danita.

http://www.biolib.cz/en/taxoni...

http://www.weeds.org.au/cgi-bi...

http://www.theplantlist.org/tp...

http://aoki2.si.gunma-u.ac.jp/...

The only thing I would question is on the weeds.org site where it states "Distinguished by absence of spines". I'm wondering what they mean by spines, on the stems, leaves?

I found "Brillantaisia palisatii" from the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro, but they have spelt it wrong, it should be Brillantaisia palisotii and that is a synonym of Brillantaisia lamium.

http://www.redetec.org.br/inve...

http://www.theplantlist.org/tp...

Brillantaisia lamium it will be! Thank you Danita, Lin and Janet.
So it has healing properties, interesting how you found that link Janet!

Putting the word 'Brazil' in a search has it's uses Myriam!

I do that Janet, most of the time.

I must tell you that the site 'Flora de Catarina' is great I'm sure you gave me that link somewhere but cannot find the thread back.. They have often photos of all parts of the plants, I have already been able to id a lot!
It is now on the top list of my favorites!

There's also a link to Flora SBS on the Flora de Catarina site Myriam, I hadn't looked around the site before but now having done so I agree it's very good!

Some of the sites I find seem to be impossible to go to a 'home' page, the one showing the nettles is a site I once had (from the last time!) and I found the site from the web address, but whichever link you click on it takes you to a search box only!

http://www.ufrgs.br/fitoecolog...

http://www.ufrgs.br/fitoecolog...

Thanks for the links Janet!
I also don't manage to go to the homepage in the first one..