Urtica dioica

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Urtica dioica

Urtica dioica, commonly known as stinging nettle or common nettle, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae. It is native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and North America, and introduced elsewhere.

Pronunciation

  • UK: /ˈɜːtɪkə daɪˈəʊɪkə/
  • US: /ˈɝːtɪkə daɪˈoʊɪkə/

Etymology

The term Urtica dioica is derived from the Latin urtica meaning "nettle", and dioica meaning "two houses", referring to the plant's separate male and female flowers.

Description

Urtica dioica is a dioecious, herbaceous, perennial plant, 1 to 2 m (3 to 7 ft) tall in the summer and dying down to the ground in winter. It has widely spreading rhizomes and stolons, which are bright yellow, as are the roots. The soft, green leaves are 3 to 15 cm (1 to 6 in) long and are borne oppositely on an erect, wiry, green stem.

Medical Uses

Urtica dioica has a long history of use as a medicinal plant and is currently used in herbal medicine for a variety of ailments. The leaves and young stems of this herbaceous plant are fitted with stinging hairs tipped with formic acid and other irritants. If touched, these needle-like hairs inject the stinging acid into the skin, triggering a burning, tingling sensation and an itchy rash. Despite its stinging properties, when processed and used medicinally, Urtica dioica can have several health benefits.

Related Terms

  • Urticaceae: The botanical family to which Urtica dioica belongs.
  • Herbaceous: Describes a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level.
  • Perennial: A plant that lives more than two years.
  • Rhizomes: A continuously growing horizontal underground stem which puts out lateral shoots and adventitious roots at intervals.
  • Stolons: A horizontal connecting stem running above (occasionally below) the ground and rooting at the nodes.
  • Formic Acid: A type of acid found in the stinging hairs of Urtica dioica.

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