Species

Urtica urens

Etymology

Urtica: from the Latin verb urere which means "to burn"

Common Name(s)

nettle, stinging nettle

Family

Urticaceae

Flora Category

Vascular - Exotic

NVS Species Code

URTURE

The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.

Structural Class

Dicotyledonous Herbs other than Composites

Habitat

Common throughout New Zealand. Gardens, under trees, disturbed pature and sheep camps.

Features

Erect annual that grows to 60cm tall. Has dark green, heart-shaped leaves (to 8cm long) in opposite pairs. Stinging bristles on the leaves and stems.

Flower Colours

Green

Year Naturalised

1846

Origin

N. temperate regions

Life Cycle Comments
Annual

This page last updated on 18 Jan 2010