Plants and mushrooms

Stinging nettles

Common name		Stinging nettles
Botanical name		Urtica urens, Urtica incisa
Other common names		-
Family		Urticaceae
General description		These soft herbs occur as weeds in damp areas and are sparsely covered with rigid, stinging hairs.
Flowers		The flowers are small and greenish in colour.
Leaves		The leaves are opposite to each other on the stem and have serrated margins. The two species are very similar but the leaves of the perennial stinging nettle (Urtica incisa) are tapered into a point, whereas the annual small stinging nettle (Urtica urens) has a more rounded tip.
Fruit/Berries		The fruit are minute, seed-like and enclosed in the flower parts.
Other		The sap is clear, stinging hairs are present.
Symptoms		Contact with the stinging hairs can result in local reddening and itching, swelling and an intense burning sensation. These symptoms are usually of short duration but may last up to 36 hours in sensitive individuals.
Toxicity category		3
Warning		-