| Herbaceous plant with stems often woody at base, straight, branched or not, 5-angled, 25-200 cm tall. Stems and petioles spreading pubescent and armed with stinging and stigose hairs. USE: Produces up to 65 cm long fibres. In Nepal, fibres are extracted and used for knitted or woven textiles and paper. Leaves and flowers are edible and the plant has medicinal properties. GROWING PERIOD: Annual or perennial. COMMON NAMES: Giant nettle. FURTHER INF: In Nepal, it can be found along forest margins and streams, in light forest, shady moist places, disturbed places and near villages at elevations between 100-3000 m. Also found in Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Nepal, Sikkim, Sri Lanka and Africa (including Madagascar) |