[GRJoe]

Dear MGS members, I used to be a regular visitor in this Forum in 2012. I came back from DR Congo and I brought with me a number of seeds and cuttings that are happily growing on my veranda: Bauhinia tomentosa, a climbing Bauhinia, Eugenia, a columnar Hibiscus, Hedychium, Gotu Kola...
Among them there's this stranger (photo). It could come from a seed I collected in DRC or from the compost I bought here (?). Some characteristics:
- each new leaf has grown larger than the precedent;
- the alternate leaves have 2 green thin stipules;
- the whole plant is pubescent, except the upper part of the leaf.

[Hilary]

Hi Joe,
I am no expert but have spent a happy half hour looking through my Tropical Plants book trying to find something which would match your plant.
The Sandbox Tree did look interesting. You wouldn't want it exploding on your verander!

[GRJoe]

Dear Hilary, first of all thank you a lot!
Now that I think about it... could my "stranger" be this monster of a plant?!!
There was a huge Sandbox tree in a residential area of Kinshasa/DRC, and I would alert friends with kids about the lethal seeds that laid in the grass (3 seeds can kill an adult... or so I had read).

The leaf shape and its venation are indeed identical; however, the "hair" looks different, unless they change with time and/or age.
Also I am not sure the Sandbox tree (Hura crepitans) have stipules.
   
Photos: a) close up of the apical bud, now splitting into 5 radial buds...
           b) photo of a Sandbox tree (Hura crepitans... what a name!) I took while in Bangadi/DRC I think.

[GRJoe]

... a large specimen in Congo (Bangadi, 2010)
not particularly attractive... and dangerous!

[GRJoe]

I can distinguish tiny apical glands on the petioles... a fact that now leaves little doubt it's a Hura. I am afraid you were right, Hilary