Spermatophyta: Dicotyledonae: Archichlamydeae: Rosales

Urticaceae - Nettle family

Cecropiaceae

Berg, C.C. (1991) Cecropiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(6)

Friis, I. (1991) Urticaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(6)

Description of the family

Annual or perennial herbs, shrubs or small trees, monoecious or dioecious, sometimes with stinging hairs. Stipules usually present. Leaves alternate or opposite, simple or lobed, usually strongly 3-veined from the base. Cystoliths generally present. Inflorescences usually cymose, densely clustered. Flowers minute, unisexual, with 1 whorl of tepals. Ovary superior with 1 erect basal ovule.

Comment: In addition to the stinging nettles in this family, species of Tragia in Euphorbiaceae have stinging hairs and sometimes nettle-like leaves.

Worldwide: 44 genera and 1,230 species, tropical, with a few temperate.

Zimbabwe: 4 cultivated genera and 5 cultivated taxa.

Links to cultivated genera: View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

Genus	Content
Boehmeria Jacq.	Description
Pilea Lindl.	Description, Image
Soleirolia Gaudich.	Description, Image
Urtica L.	Description

Other sources of information about Urticaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Urticaceae
Flora of Burundi: Urticaceae
Flora of the DRC: Urticaceae
Flora of Malawi: Urticaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Urticaceae
Flora of Rwanda: Urticaceae
Flora of Zambia: Urticaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: Urticaceae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Urticaceae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Urticaceae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Urticaceae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Urticaceae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Urticaceae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Urticaceae
JSTOR Plant Science: Urticaceae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Urticaceae
Wikipedia: Urticaceae
Plants of the World Online: Urticaceae
Tropicos: Urticaceae