Nettle
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Nettles are members of the genus Urtica in the family Urticaceae.
The most prominent member of the genus is the Stinging nettle Urtica dioica, native to Europe, Asia, and North America. The genus also contains a number of other species with similar properties, listed below. However, a large number of species names that will be encountered in this genus in the older literature are now recognised as synonyms of U. dioica. Some of their names survive as subspecies names.
All the species listed below share the property of having stinging hairs, and can be expected to have very similar medicinal uses to the stinging nettle.
Urticaceae also contains other interesting and useful plants, such as Ramie (Boehmeria nivea), Mamaki (Picturus albidus), and Ajlai (Debregeasia saeneb). The Wood nettle, Laportea canadensis, found in eastern North America from Nova Scotia to Florida, comes from the same family; so does the False nettle, Boehmeria cylindrica, found in most of the United States east of the Rockies, but as its name implies, it does not sting.
There are many unrelated organisms called nettle, such as:
- Hedge nettle (Stachys spp.) and Dead nettle (Lamium spp.) which are in the Lamiaceae or mint family,
- Devil's Nettle, which is another name for Yarrow,
- Horse nettle in the Solanaceae (Nightshade family)
- Sea nettle (Chtysaora quinquecirrha) which is a jellyfish.
- Urtica angustifolia; China, Japan, Korea
- Urtica cannabina; Western Asia from Siberia to Iran.
- Stinging nettle, Urtica diotica; Europe, Asia, North America
- Urtica hyperborea; Himalayas from Pakistan to Bhutan, Mongolia and Tibet, high altitudes.
- Scrub nettle, Urtica incisa; Australia
- Urtica laetivirens; Japan, Manchuria
- Urtica parviflora; Himalayas (lower altitudes)
- Roman nettle, Urtica pilulifera; Europe
- Urtica platyphylla; China, Japan
- Urtica thunbergiana; Japan
- Dwarf nettle or Annual nettle, Urtica urens; Europe, North America
