Urtica dioica

• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• Bibliography
• More Info
• Notes

Common Names

Click on the language to view common names.

Description

Family Urticaceae

Herbs, subshrubs , or shrubs , rarely trees , very rarely climbing , stems often fibrous , sometimes succulent. sometimes armed with stinging hairs ; epidermal cells of leaves, sometimes stems, perianths mostly with prominent cystoliths punctiform to linear ; Leaves alternate or opposite, stipules present, rarely absent; leaf blade simple . Inflorescences cymose , paniculate , racemose, spicate , or cluster-capitate, usually formed from glomerules , sometimes crowded on common enlarged cuplike or discoid receptacle, rarely reduced into a single flower. Flowers unisexual (plants monoecious or dioecious), rarely bisexual in partial flowers; actinomorphic , very small, (1-) 4- or 5-merous, rarely perianth absent in female flowers. Calyx absent. Perianth lobes imbricate or valvate . Male flowers: stamens as many as and opposite to perianth lobes, filaments inflexed in bud; anthers 2-locular, opening lengthwise, rudimentary ovary often present. Female flowers: perianth lobes free or connate , usually enlarged in fruit and persistent , occasionally absent; staminodes scarious , opposite to the perianth lobes, or absent. Ovary rudimentary in male flowers, sessile or shortly stipitate , free or adnate to the perianth; 1-locular, ovule solitary, erect from the base ; style simple, or absent; stigma diverse , capitate, penicillate-capitate (brushlike), subulate , filiform , ligulate , or peltate. Fruit usually a dry achene, sometimes a fleshy drupe, often enclosed by the persistent perianth. Seed solitary, endosperm usually present; embryo straight; cotyledons ovate elliptical or orbicular .

About 47 genera and 1300 species: most numerous in wet tropical regions , extending into temperate regions ; 25 genera and 341 species (163 endemic, one introduced ) in China.

Plants in this family have numerous uses. The stem fiber of some genera and species is of high quality and used to make cloth, fishing nets , and ropes and for some industrial materials . In central and southern China,

Boehmeria nivea is widely cultivated for ramie fiber and Girardinia diversifolia subsp. triloba is widely cultivated for  red huo ma  fiber. Boiled young shoots of Girardinia, Laportea, and Urtica are eaten as vegetables. Some species are used in local Chinese medicine. Pellionia repens, Pilea cadierei, P. microphylla, and P. peperomioides, among other species, are widely cultivated as ornamentals in China and elsewhere. Some genera, such as Elatostema, Pellionia, and Pilea, occur frequently in shady, moist habitats of subtropical forests and become dominant elements of the forest floor vegetation. Plants of the first five genera belong to tribe Urticeae, which is usually characterized by the distinctive stinging hairs.Jiarui Chen, Prof. Qi Lin, Ib Friis, C. Melanie Wilmot-Dear & Alex K. Monro "Urticaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 5 Page 76. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.

Genus Urtica

Herbs, annual or perennial , with stinging and nonstinging hairs on same plant. Stems simple or branched, erect , ascending , or sprawling . Leaves opposite; stipules present. Leaf blades elliptic , lanceolate, ovate , or orbiculate, margins dentate to serrate; cystoliths rounded or ± elongate . Inflorescences axillary , lax , of cymes arranged in racemes or panicles. Flowers unisexual , staminate and pistillate flowers in loose to tight clusters in separate inflorescences or intermixed in same inflorescence on same or different plants ; bracts narrowly triangular to lanceolate, lacking hooked hairs. Staminate flowers : tepals 4, distinct , equal; stamens 4; pistillode cuplike. Pistillate flowers: tepals 4, distinct, inner 2 equal to achene, outer 2 smaller, without hooked hairs; staminodes absent; style absent; stigma tufted , persistent or deciduous. Achenes sessile, laterally compressed , ovoid or deltoid, loosely enclosed by inner tepals. x = 12, 13.

Species 45: nearly worldwide."Urtica". in Flora of North America Vol. 3. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.

Physical Description

Habitat

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 4,653 meters (0 to 15,266 feet).Mean = 180.840 meters (593.307 feet), Standard Deviation = 292.730 based on 20,000 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre.

Biology

Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Growth

Culture: Space 15-18" apart.

Soil: Minimum pH: 5.6 • Maximum pH: 8.5

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade.

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b. (map)

Taxonomy

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Place of publication : Sp. pl. 2:984. 1753

Name verified on 12-Nov-2002 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 12-Nov-2002

Similar Species

Members of the genus Urtica

There are approximately 588 species in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

U. 'Jean-Luc Gatard' · U. acerifolia · U. acuminata · U. adoensis · U. affinis · U. africana · U. alata · U. alba · U. albido-punctata · U. alceaefolia · U. alceifolia · U. alienata · U. alnifolia · U. americana · U. amoena · U. andicola · U. angulata · U. angustata · U. angustifolia · U. anisophylla · U. appendiculata · U. aquatica · U. arbarea · U. arborea · U. arborescens · U. ardens · U. argentea · U. arguta · U. armata · U. armigera · U. articulata · U. arvensis · U. aspera · U. atlantica · U. atrichocaulis · U. atrovirens · U. atrox · U. aucklandica · U. aureliana · U. australis · U. azorica · U. balearica · U. ballotaefolia · U. ballotifolia (Nettle) · U. ballotifolia var. macrostachya · U. berlandiera · U. berteroana · U. betulaefolia · U. betulifolia · U. bianorii · U. bicolor · U. bifida · U. biloba · U. biserrata · U. blanda · U. blitum · U. bollae · U. bonariensis · U. bonariensis crenato-serrata · U. bonariensis subsp. crenato-serrata · U. bonariensis var. parvifolia · U. bovista · U. bracteata · U. buchtienii · U. bulbifera · U. bullata · U. bullosa · U. buraei · U. burchellii · U. caerulea · U. caffra · U. californica gracilis · U. callitrichoides · U. calophylla · U. camcasana · U. canadensis var. minor · U. candicans · U. candidissima · U. cannabina · U. capensis · U. capitata · U. capitellata · U. caravellana · U. carolinensis · U. cataractae · U. caudata · U. caudigera · U. celebica · U. cellulosa · U. chamaedryoides (Heartleaf Nettle) · U. chamaedryoides f. hygrophila · U. chamaedryoides f. xerophila · U. chamaedryoides microsperma · U. chamaedryoides subsp. microsperma · U. chamaedryoides var. angustifolia · U. chamaedryoides var. circularis · U. chamaedryoides var. latifolia · U. chamaedryoides var. parvifolia · U. chesneyana · U. chichicaztli

Bibliography

• Ali, S. I. & S. M. H. Jafri, eds. 1976–. Flora of Libya. (F Libya)
• Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959–. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae. (F China)
• Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs. (CRC MedHerbs ed2)
• Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage. (Zander ed13)
• FNA Editorial Committee. 1993–. Flora of North America. (F NAmer)
• Gleason, H. A. & A. Cronquist. 1963. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. (Glea Cron)
• Godfrey, R. K. & J. W. Wooten. 1979–1981. Aquatic and wetland plants of southeastern United States, 2 vol. (Aquat SE US)
• Grierson, A. J. C. & D. J. Long. 1984–. Flora of Bhutan including a record of plants from Sikkim. (F Bhutan)
• Holm, L. et al. 1979. A geographical atlas of world weeds. (Atlas WWeed)
• Jahandiez, E. & R. Maire. 1931–1941. Catalogue des plantes du Maroc. (L Maroc)
• Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934–1964. Flora SSSR. (F USSR)
• Leung, A. Y. & S. Foster. 1996. Encyclopedia of common natural ingredients used in food, drugs, and cosmetics, ed. 2. (Ency CNatIn)
• Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. (Hortus 3)
• Malezasdemexico. Malezas de México - on-line resource. (Malezas Mex)
• Meikle, R. D. 1977–1985. Flora of Cyprus. (F Cyprus)
• Mouterde, P. 1966–. Nouvelle flore du Liban et de la Syrie. (F Liban)
• Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970–. Flora of [West] Pakistan. (F Pak)
• Pottier-Alapetite, G. 1979–1981. Flore de la Tunisie: Angiospermes-Dicotyledones. (F Tunis)
• Quézel, P. & S. Santa. 1962–1963. Nouvelle flore de l'Algerie. (F Alger)
• Radford, A. E. et al. 1964. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. (F Carolin)
• Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants. (Dict Rehm)
• Terrell, E. E. et al. 1986. Agric. Handb. no. 505. (AH 505)
• Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964–1980. Flora europaea. (F Eur)
• Woodland, D. W. 1982. Biosystematics of the perennial North American taxa of Urtica. II. Taxonomy. Syst. Bot. 7:282–290.
• Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994–. Flora of China (English edition). (F ChinaEng)
• Chen Chiajui & Wang Wentsai. 1995. Urticaceae. In: Wang Wentsai & Chen Chiajui, eds., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 23(2): 1404.
• Woodland, D. W., I. J. Bassett, and C. W. Crompton. 1976. The annual species of stinging nettle (Hesperocnide and Urtica) in North America. Canad. J. Bot. 54: 374-383.
• Woodland, D. W. 1982. Biosystematics of the perennial North American taxa of Urtica. II. Taxonomy. Syst. Bot. 7: 282-290.
• Woodland, D. W., I. J. Bassett, L. Crompton, and S. Forget. 1982. Biosystematics of the perennial North American taxa of Urtica. I. Chromosome number, hybridization, and palynology. Syst. Bot. 7: 269-281.

More Info

• Search for Pictures: images.google.com
• Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
• Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
• Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books

Notes

Contributors

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed October 7, 2006.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed November 19, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from provider.
• Light, Kris. East Tennessee Wildflowers
• MBLWHOI Library: Universal Biological Index and Organizer. uBio.org accessed July 18, 2008.
• USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (May 01, 2008)

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 18, 2007:

• Jyväskylä University Museum - The Section of Natural Sciences, Vascular plant collection of Jyvaskyla University Museum
• Marine Science Institute, UCSB, Paleobiology Database
• Oregon State University, Vascular Plant Collection
• The Danish Biodiversity Information Facility, Botany registration database by Danish botanists
• UK National Biodiversity Network, Dorset Environmental Records Centre - Bryophyte Survey of the Poole Basin Mires - NBN South West Pilot Project Case Studies
• UK National Biodiversity Network, Environment and Heritage Service - EHS Species Datasets
• UK National Biodiversity Network, Joint Nature Conservation Committee - Vegetation surveys of coastal shingle in Great Britain
• UK National Biodiversity Network, Scottish Borders Biological Records Centre - SWT Scottish Borders Local Wildlife Site Survey data 1996-2000 - species information
• University of Alabama Biodiversity and Systematics, Herbarium

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2645855
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: ITS-524787
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13731115
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:262032-2
• GRIN Nomen Number: 40944
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 19152
• International Plant Names Index (IPNI) ID: 857539-1
• U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: URDIP2 URG
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 67329

Footnotes

©2004-2008 the BayScience Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved.