Urtica dioica : Stinging Nettle

Scientific Name:

Kingdom: Plantae

Division:

• Tracheophyta (vascular)
• Spermatophyta (seed bearing)
Angiospermae (enclosed seed)

Class: Dicoteldonae (two seed-leaves)

Family: Urticaceae (Nettle Family)

Genera: Urtica (Nettle) (Latin name for nettle from uro=to burn reffering to the burn or sting from touching these plants.)

Species: dioica

Synonym(s): U.gracilis

English Name(s):

Stinging Nettle, Common Nettle

First Nation Names:

Description:

Herbacious

Plants are monoecious (by-sexual).

Flowers small, not showy, imperfect (unisexual), in clusters or catkins.

All flowers with 4-5 sepals and no petals. Male flowers with 4-5 staments. Female flowers ovary superior and with one pistil.

Natural History:

Most species have stinging hairs.

Boehmeria (Sillk Plant) is a member of this family and has the longest fibers in the Plant Kingdom.

Family Size:

World:

Genera: 45

Species: 550

North America:

Genera: 6

Species: 100+

Yukon:

Genera: 2

Species: 2

Central Yukon:(CYSIP study area)

Genera: 1

Species: 1

Structure:

• Armed with stinging hairs.
• Plant to 1 meter high with tough stems, branching or unbranched.

Leaves:

• Opposite from nodes bearing 2 or more leaves.
• Margins coarsely serrate.
• On petiole of 1-6 cm long.
• Simple (not divided or lobed) broadly ovate to lanceolate 3-15cm long by 1-8cm wide.

Reproductive Parts:

• Catkins elongated and drooping.
• Female flowers with one pistil, and stigma tufted.
• Male flowers with 4 stamens and a rudimentary pistil (female part).
• Plants monoecious (bi-sexual).

Seed:

• A flattened achene.

Not to Be Confused With:

Physiology:

Life Cycle:

• Perennial.

Seasonal Cycle:

• Flowers bloom in June.

Animal Uses:

Habitat:

• Like rich damp soil.
• Thickets, woods, meadows and along streams.

Modern:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Gwich'in:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food:

Traditional Other:

Folklore:

Industrial:

Medicinal:

Food: