Urtica gracilis | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Rosales |
Family: | Urticaceae |
Genus: | Urtica |
Species: | U. gracilis |
Binomial name | |
Urtica gracilis | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Urtica gracilis, commonly known as the slender nettle, tall nettle, or American stinging nettle, is a perennial plant plant without woody stems that is well known for the unpleasant stinging hairs on its leaves and stems. [2] It is native to much of the North America from Guatemala northwards and temperate areas of South America. [1] It is easily confused with the visually very similar Eurasian species Urtica dioica and is still listed in some resources as a subspecies of this plant. However, genetic analysis and experiments show that they are genetically distinct.
Urtica gracilis is a perennial plant, one that regrows for many years, with stems that die back the ground in winter (herbaceous plant). [3] It spreads both by wind borne seeds and by rhizomes, often forming dense stands in favorable conditions. [2] Plants can be between 50 centimeters and 3 meters in height with stems that can be simple or branched. [3] Stems will vary in between being smooth and covered in stiff hairs (glabrous to strigose), but have few of the stinging hairs the plant is known for. [4]
The leaves of Urtica gracilis are variable, elliptic, lanceolate, or ovate, and 6–20 cm long by 2–13 cm across, with a base that can either be rounded or shaped like a heart (rounded to cordate). The leaf edges have coarse teeth, sometimes with smaller teeth within each larger tooth (doubly serrate) and the ends are pointed. [3] The underside of the leaves are covered in the stinging hairs that the species is so well known for, but the upper surface only rarely has a few stinging hairs and is more often smooth or covered in non-stinging fine hairs (puberulent). [4]
Urtica gracilis has a flowering panicle, a much branched flowering stem with multiple flowers on sort stems. The flowers are unisexual, each one only having either female pistols or male stamens. Mostly plants will have both genders of flowers. [4] The flowers are not large or showy. [3]
The first scientific description of Urtica gracilis was published by William Aiton in 1789. [1] While this was accepted for a time the visual similarity caused botanical sources like George Neville Jones's 1945 Flora of Illinois to only list Urtica dioica. [5] In 2014 the paper "Weeding the Nettles II" was published in the journal Phytotaxa. It showed the North American nettles to be a unified group that is genetically distinct [6] As of 2023 the major botanical source Plants of the World Online (POWO) lists Urtica gracilis as a valid species. However, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS database (PLANTS) continues to list it as the subspecies Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis credited to Sten Selander. [7]
There are 5 recognized subspecies or varieties of Urtica gracilis according to POWO as of 2023. Four of them were formerly recognized at different times as other subspecies, varieties, or species. [1]
Scientific name | Authority | Synonyms |
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Urtica gracilis subsp. aquatica | (Liebm.) Weigend | Urtica aquatica, Urtica mexicana, Urtica serra [8] |
Urtica gracilis subsp. gracilis | Urtica californica, Urtica cardiophylla, Urtica dioica var. angustifolia, Urtica dioica var. californica, Urtica dioica var. lyallii, Urtica dioica var. procera, Urtica gracilis var. latifolia, Urtica lyallii, Urtica lyallii var. californica, Urtica procera, Urtica strigosissima, Urtica viridis [9] | |
Urtica gracilis subsp. holosericea | (Nutt.) W.A.Weber | Urtica breweri, Urtica dioica subsp. holosericea, Urtica dioica var. holosericea, Urtica gracilis var. holosericea, Urtica dioica var. occidentalis, Urtica gracilis f. densa, Urtica gracilis var. densa, Urtica gracilis var. greenei, Urtica gracilis f. greenei, Urtica holosericea, Urtica trachycarpa [10] |
Urtica gracilis subsp. incaica | Weigend | |
Urtica gracilis subsp. mollis | (Steud.) Weigend | Urtica buchtienii, Urtica dioica var. mollis, Urtica dioica var. diplotricha, Urtica diplotricha, Urtica mollis [11] |
Urtica gracilis is native to the Americas and is recorded by POWO as growing in most of North America including every state of Mexico, every province and territory of Canada except Nunavut, and all but four states, Hawaii, Florida, South Carolina, and Arkansas in America. [1] In Central America it is only recorded as growing in Guatemala. In South America it limited to the more temperate areas in the countries of Peru, Chile, and Argentina. [1]
Urtica gracillis has a flavor similar to spinach when cooked. Young plants were harvested by indigenous peoples of the Americas and used as a cooked plant in spring when other food plants were scarce. [12] Soaking stinging nettles in water or cooking removes the stinging chemicals from the plant, which allows them to be handled and eaten without injury. [13]
The Urticaceae are a family, the nettle family, of flowering plants. The family name comes from the genus Urtica. The Urticaceae include a number of well-known and useful plants, including nettles in the genus Urtica, ramie, māmaki, and ajlai.
Urtica dioica, often known as common nettle, burn nettle, stinging nettle or nettle leaf, or just a nettle or stinger, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae. Originally native to Europe, much of temperate Asia and western North Africa, it is now found worldwide, including New Zealand and North America. The species is divided into six subspecies, five of which have many hollow stinging hairs called trichomes on the leaves and stems, which act like hypodermic needles, injecting histamine and other chemicals that produce a stinging sensation upon contact.
Urtica is a genus of flowering plants in the family Urticaceae. Many species have stinging hairs and may be called nettles or stinging nettles, although the latter name applies particularly to Urtica dioica.
Lamium purpureum, known as red dead-nettle, purple dead-nettle, or purple archangel, is an annual herbaceous flowering plant native to Europe and Asia.
Campanula rotundifolia, the harebell, Scottish bluebell, or bluebell of Scotland, is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family Campanulaceae. This herbaceous perennial is found throughout the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere. In Scotland, it is often known simply as bluebell. It is the floral emblem of Sweden where it is known as small bluebell. It produces its violet-blue, bell-shaped flowers in late summer and autumn.
The Circaea, or enchanter's nightshades, are a genus of flowering plants in the evening primrose family Onagraceae. About two dozen taxa have been described, including eight species. Plants of the genus occur throughout the temperate and boreal forests of the Northern Hemisphere. Three taxa occur in North America: Circaea alpina, Circaea canadensis, and the hybrid Circaea × sterilis. The generic name Circaea refers to the enchantress Circe from Greek mythology who is said to have used the herb as a charm.
Lamium album, commonly called white nettle or white dead-nettle, is a flowering plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is native throughout Europe and Asia, growing in a variety of habitats from open grassland to woodland, generally on moist, fertile soils.
Pilea pumila, commonly known as clearweed, Canadian clearweed, coolwort or richweed, is an herbaceous plant in the nettle family (Urticaceae). It is native to Asia and eastern North America, where it is broadly distributed.
Urtica urens, commonly known as annual nettle, dwarf nettle, small nettle, dog nettle, or burning nettle, is a herbaceous annual flowering plant species in the nettle family Urticaceae. It is native to Eurasia, including the Himalayan regions of Kalimpong, Darjeeling and Sikkim in India and can be found in North America, New Zealand and South Africa as an introduced species. It is reputed to sting more strongly than common nettle.
Aconitum columbianum is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family known by the common names Columbian monkshood or western monkshood.
Triteleia ixioides, known as prettyface or golden star, is a monocotyledon flowering plant in the genus Triteleia. It is native to northern and central California and southwestern Oregon, where it can be found in coastal and inland coniferous forests and other habitat. It is a perennial wildflower growing from a corm. It produces one to two basal leaves up to 50 centimeters long by 1.5 wide. The inflorescence arises on an erect stem up to 80 centimeters tall. It is an umbel-like cluster of several flowers each borne on a pedicel up to 7 centimeters long. The flowers are variable in size, measuring one to nearly three centimeters in length. They are pale to bright yellow, or sometimes purple-tinged white. There are six tepals with darker midveins in shades of green, brown, or purple. The lobes are funnel-shaped and may open flat or somewhat reflexed. The six stamens form a fused tube that protrudes from the corolla; they have broad, flat filaments and whitish, yellowish, or blue anthers.
Chrysocephalum semipapposum, commonly known as clustered everlasting is a perennial shrub native to Australia. Clustered everlasting belongs to the family Asteraceae. C. semipapposum produces terminal flowers heads in clusters, mainly between spring and early summer with silver-grey appearing stems and branches. It grows up to 40cm high and 60 cm high, although there have been some varieties which can grow up to 1 m. C. semipapposum is often confused with Chrysocephalum apiculatum or 'yellow buttons', due to their similar appearances. C. semipapposum has 4 different subspecies, however they lack distinctive qualities and are often hard to identify. C. semipapposum is endemic to Australia and can be found in multiple states, most notably within Victoria. The plant is found in a variety of habitats including dry rocky regions. Clustered everlasting often grows sparsely and is rarely found in abundance and can be mistaken for a weed. Clustered everlasting has many uses, including as a source of nectar for butterflies, cut flowers or as an addition to a garden.
Urtica dioica subsp. galeopsifolia, the fen nettle or stingless nettle, is a herbaceous perennial plant found in Europe. It is considered to be either a subspecies of stinging nettle, or a species in its own right: Urtica galeopsifolia.
Silene campanulata is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common names Red Mountain catchfly and bell catchfly. It may be a synonym of Silene greenei.
Pulsatilla nuttalliana, known as American pasqueflower, prairie pasqueflower, prairie crocus, or simply pasqueflower, is a flowering plant native to much of North America, from the western side of Lake Michigan, to northern Canada in the Northwest Territories, south to New Mexico in the southwestern United States. Pasqueflower is the provincial flower of Manitoba and the state flower of South Dakota.
Urtica lalibertadensis is a species of the genus Urtica. It differs from U. leptostachya in its subscandent habit and the deflexed stinging hairs on the glabrous stem, and by the presence of numerous stinging hairs on the perigon of the female flowers and individual stinging hairs on the perigon of the male flower. It is a very abundant species in Peru.
Urtica urentivelutina is a species of the genus Urtica. This species is closely related to U. macbridei, but differs in its much denser and longer indument, especially on the stipules and the presence of stinging hairs on the perigon of the female flowers. The leaves are densely pubescent and also irregularly bullate between the veins, which is a character not found in other Peruvian species.
A stinging plant or a plant with stinging hairs is a plant with hairs (trichomes) on its leaves or stems that are capable of injecting substances that cause pain or irritation.
Urtica pilulifera, also known as the Roman nettle, is a herbaceous annual flowering plant in the family Urticaceae.
Iberis saxatilis, the rock candytuft, is a species of flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae, native to southern Europe and northwest Africa. The species is typically used as an ornamental rock and alpine garden perennial plant because of its decorative flowers and cascading growth habit. Iberis is so named because many members of the genus come from the Iberian Peninsula in south west Europe. The species name saxatilis means "growing among rocks," referring to the preferred substrate of this species.