URTICACEAE - Nettle Family
Mostly herbs, rarely subshrubs
and small trees
Leaves opposite or alternate, simple, stipules present, stinging hairs present
in some
Flowers unisexual, actinomorphic, in cymes, heads or solitary, actinomorphic
Plants monoecious or dioecious
Fruit an achene or fleshy drupe
Seeds with endosperm
45 genera, 700 species in tropics and temperate areas
Diagnostic characters: herbs with stinging hairs and highly reduced flowers
Economic importance: some houseplants, tips of Urtica can be boiled
and eaten, Ramie is used for fiber
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