Stinging nettle: photo and description, characteristics

Stinging nettle is an ambiguous plant. It helps to cure diseases, during wars it saved from hunger. Many people still use it in salads. But gardeners hate her fiercely. And there are reasons for this. In suburban areas, it is an indestructible and tenacious weed.

Botanical description of dioecious nettle

Perennial dioecious grass with a powerful root system that develops horizontally. Depending on climatic conditions, it grows from 60 cm to 2 m in height. The name of the dioecious nettle in Latin is Urtica dioica. The specific name “dioicus” originates from the ancient Greek word meaning “two houses”, the generic name comes from the Latin word “uro”, that is, “burn”.

Stems erect, fibrous, hollow inside. The cross section is tetrahedral. Initially, the escape is single. Over time, axillary stems develop. Dioecious nettle is covered with stinging hairs.

Nettle leaves are equilateral, opposite, simple. The coloration is dark green. The tops of the leaf blades are pointed. Margins coarsely serrated or coarsely serrated. The shape is oblong, ovate-lanceolate or heart-shaped. Sometimes there is an elliptical. The ratio of the length and width of the leaf blade is 2:1. Leaf bases with deep, up to 5 mm, notch. Petioles are long.

Inflorescences are drooping panicles. Peduncles are located at the base of the petioles. The lowest inflorescences appear at a height of 7-14 nodes from the ground. Peduncles can also grow on axillary shoots. In dioecious plants, one specimen can have only male or female flowers. Because of this, half of the nettle population remains infertile.

Unlike male, female nettle inflorescences have protection

The fruits are small elliptical nuts 1-1,4 mm long. The color is yellowish or light brown. The surface is matte.

The root system of dioica nettle is located horizontally and shallow underground. Stolon-like roots grow by 35-40 cm per year.

Defense mechanism against herbivores

All above-ground parts of the nettle are covered with thick, stinging hairs. The latter are one giant cell, similar to a medical ampoule and filled with silicon salts. The tip of the “ampoule” protrudes beyond the plant. The walls of the protective cell are very fragile. They break even with a slight impact. The sharp end of the hair pierces the skin, and the juice that fills the cell enters the herbivore’s body. The composition of the contents of the “ampoule”:

• formic acid;
• histamine;
• choline.

These substances cause skin irritation and a “burn” sensation.

Touching some tropical nettles can cause death

Where does stinging nettle grow?

The weed is very unpretentious and easily adapts to various climatic conditions. Distributed in the temperate climate zone of the northern and southern hemispheres. On the continents where it was not originally there, the seeds were brought by man. In this way, the plant penetrated into North America and Australia. In Eurasia, nettle grows not only in Europe. It can be found in Asia Minor and Asia Minor and in India. In North Africa, its range stretches from Libya to Morocco. Absent only in South America.

In Our Country, it is distributed in Western Siberia and the European part. It was introduced to the Far East and Eastern Siberia. Under natural conditions, it prefers the forest and forest-steppe zone.

Dioecious nettle is a ruderal plant. That is, she prefers:

• forest clearings;
• damp forests and meadows;
• ditches;
• ravines;
• garbage places near fences and dwellings;
• abandoned lands;
• shores of reservoirs.

Due to the ability to vegetative propagation, it forms “pure” thickets that do not have inclusions of foreign flora in large areas.

Dioecious nettle does not have a conservation status. On the contrary, it is considered a difficult weed to eradicate. But it is easy to confuse it with another nettle: Kyiv nettle. Both species are very similar:

• inflorescences;
• leaves;
• shoot height.

Kyiv law really protects in some regions:

• Voronezh and Lipetsk regions;
• Belarus;
• Hungary
• Czech Republic.

But if you look closely, it is not difficult to distinguish a protected species from a malicious weed.

The main difference between Kyiv nettle and dioecious nettle is longer and narrower leaf blades.

Dioecious nettle wild or not

Stinging nettle was a cultivated plant until the XNUMXth century, when it was grown for its fiber for the textile industry. Today, gardeners are not happy about her appearance. If you give free rein to the dioecious nettle, it will quickly fill all the space available to it. And getting rid of it is very difficult.

But although dioica nettle has given way to cotton and synthetic fabrics, ramie/bomeria fibers, which are specially grown on an industrial scale, are still used in South Asian countries. The Asiatic herb belongs to the same family as the dioica nettle, but it is of a different genus and lacks the stinging hairs.

Bomeria fabrics are valued for their resemblance to natural silk.

Is stinging nettle poisonous?

It depends on the point of view. The stinging bristles contain a poison that affects the skin and mucous membranes. But as a food plant, dioica nettle is harmless. You just need to pour boiling water over it to avoid burns. The danger is the consumption of too much nettle leaves and seeds, due to their high content of vitamin K, which coagulates the blood.

How to distinguish dioecious nettle from stinging nettle

At a young age, dioica and stinging nettles look very similar. But in mature plants, details become noticeable by which they are easy to distinguish from each other:

• the difference in the height of the shoots: burning no more than 35 cm, dioecious – up to 2 m;
• the appearance of the inflorescence is spicate in a burning one, in a dioecious one it is a hanging panicle;
• the size of the inflorescences: in the dioecious, the petioles are longer, in the burning, shorter or equal.

Burning, unlike dioecious, does not reproduce with the help of the root system, therefore it forms only small curtains, without claiming all the available space.

The places of growth for burning and dioecious are the same:

• wastelands;
• vegetable gardens;
• road shoulders;
• along the edges of compost pits;
• spaces near houses and fences.

The main condition for growth: soil rich in nitrogen.

The stinging variety is used to treat KSD and heal skin ulcers.

Methods of reproduction of dioecious nettle

Stinging nettle propagates by means of seeds and roots. The germination of nettle “nuts” is low. In addition, only female plants can produce fruits. This method is suitable for transferring future offspring over long distances. Seed germination may increase after passing through the gastrointestinal tract of cattle.

For the conquest of nearby spaces, the vegetative method is more effective, since male specimens can also produce clones. There are growth buds on the stolons, which are activated the next year. Thus, even a male plant can produce clones and flood the entire surrounding area.

Roots are the main way of propagation of dioecious nettles.

Peculiarities of growing

There are none, because no one grows the weed on purpose. But if there is a desire to completely destroy your summer cottage, then you can make a well-manured bed. It is better to mix the soil with humus in a ratio of 1: 1. After that, pour out the seeds and lightly powder them with earth. You don’t need to cut deep. The soil is kept slightly moist. The illumination of the garden does not matter. With enough water and nutrients, stinging nettle grows well in both shade and full sun.

The chemical composition of the dioecious nettle

Young shoots of dioica nettle contain:

• fiber – 37%;
• crude protein – 23%;
• ash – 18%;
• fats – 3%.

The most valuable part of the dioecious nettle is its leaves. 100 g contains:

• 100-270 mg of ascorbic acid;
• 14-50 mg of provitamin A;
• 41 mg of iron;
• 8,2 mg manganese;
• 4,3 mg boron;
• 2,7 mg of titanium;
• 0,03 mg nickel.

1 g of leaves contains 400 IU of vitamin K. The large discrepancy between data on vitamins C and A is due to the very large area of ​​the plant. Samples for the study were collected in places with different soil composition.

In addition to vitamins and trace elements, the leaves contain:

• chlorophyll up to 8%;
• tannins;
• sugar;
• organic acids;
• sitosterol;
• phytoncides;
• porphyrins;
• glycoside urticin;
• phenolic acids.

The rich chemical composition allows the herb to be used as a remedy in folk medicine. It is believed that it helps with many diseases, including colds.

Medicinal properties of dioecious nettle

Due to the rich vitamin composition and medicinal properties, nettle nettle has found application both in medicine and in cosmetology. In Our Country, it has been used as a wound healing agent since the XNUMXth century.

The leaves and roots are used for medicinal purposes. But the latter are much more difficult to prepare, although there is an opinion about their greater efficiency. Leaves are harvested on an industrial scale. For home use, they are also more convenient.

The whole plant is cut off and dried for 2-3 hours. After that, the leaves are cut off and dried in a ventilated room, spread out in a layer of 4 cm. The shelf life of dry raw materials is two years.

Stinging nettles are good for winter stocking if frozen, salted or canned.

The use of dioica nettle in medicine

In folk medicine, nettle nettle is very popular. The herb is used to treat many diseases:

• as a hemostatic agent for internal bleeding;
• for the treatment of polymenorrhea and endometriosis;
• to reduce too long periods;
• with rheumatism and diseases of the joints;
• for better wound healing;
• as a multivitamin preparation for colds;
• in diabetes to lower sugar levels.

Although all these diseases primarily require medical intervention, and not nettle decoction. Internal bleeding is dangerous because it is invisible until the person loses consciousness. And inappropriate spotting in a woman can be a sign of uterine cancer. Here it is necessary to eliminate the cause, and not to suppress the symptom.

Any use of nettle dioecious in folk medicine is associated with the presence of a large amount of vitamin K in it, which accelerates blood clotting. Because of this property, uncontrolled intake of preparations from nettle dioecious will bring not only benefits, but also harm.

Official medicine is more cautious about the healing properties of nettle. It is used in some preparations, but as an auxiliary ingredient:

1. Allochol, choleretic.
   
   

   The tablets contain the most dry bile – 80 mg and the least nettle – 5 mg.

2. Polyhemostat to stop external venous and capillary bleeding.
   
   

   In a bag of Polygemostat, weighing 2,5 g, the proportion of dry nettle extract is 25 mg.

3. Bronchophyte, herbal collection, which is used for diseases of the upper respiratory tract.
   
   

   Bronchophyte packaging contains only 8 g of nettle leaves.

The use of dioica nettle is widespread in other areas.

Dosage Forms

At home, you can prepare three types of medicinal preparations from nettle dioecious:

• infusion;
• decoction;
• butter.

They are used not only in case of illness, but also for cosmetic procedures.

Nettle leaves can be brewed instead of tea

Nettle decoction

For a decoction, take 10 g of dry nettle leaves and a glass of boiling water. The grass is poured with water and kept on low heat for 15 minutes, not allowing to boil. Insist 45 minutes. The broth is filtered and topped up with boiled water up to 200 ml. Take 3-4 times a day, 100 ml.

Nettle infusion

It differs from a decoction in that more leaves are needed, and the cooking time is longer: 20 g of herbs per glass of boiling water and insist for two hours. Take 30 ml 3-4 times a day.

Nettle oil

At home, nettle oil is obtained by cold or hot infusion. Any vegetable with a long oxidation period is taken as the basis:

• sunflower;
• sesame;
• olive;
• wheat germ;
• almond.

Methods for obtaining nettle oil differ in terms of preparation.

“Cold” method

With a cold infusion, nettle leaves are put in a jar, poured with oil and placed in a dark place. It takes a month to get the finished product. The container is shaken daily for better mixing of the contents.

“Hot” method

To prepare the product using the hot infusion method, you will need a heat-resistant container. Grass is put into it and oil is poured. Then they put it in a water bath and heat it up.

Warm the container for half an hour. The procedure is repeated for two more days.

Filtration and storage

The finished product is filtered, removing the leaves. A few drops of vitamin E are added to the oil. The latter needs 0,2 g per 100 ml of the drug. Store the finished product in the refrigerator. Shelf life year.

Oil from the seeds of dioica nettle is prepared in the same way as from the leaves.

Rules for use for medicinal purposes

Decoctions and infusions are taken 30-60 minutes after eating. Better fresh. Store in the refrigerator for up to two days. It is impossible to heat ready-made preparations, and for colds, a warm drink is necessary.

But chilled infusions are suitable for external use. They are used for better healing of skin ulcers. You need to change the compress with nettle infusion every six hours.

And the main rule for the use of nettle preparations is not to replace the drug treatment prescribed by the doctor. Herbs give a good effect as auxiliary, not the main means.

Contraindications and side effects of stinging nettle

Preparations from nettle dioecious can not be used for people with diseases of the cardiovascular system:

• hypertension;
• varicose veins;
• predisposition to thromboembolism;
• thrombophlebitis;
• other diseases that can cause the formation of blood clots in the vessels.

Nettle is contraindicated for people with individual intolerance.

Terms and rules for collecting dioecious nettle

Since nettle grows in all climatic zones of Our Country, the timing of its collection in different regions varies. You need to focus on flowering. At this time, herbs accumulate the maximum amount of nutrients.

Stinging nettle blooms from May until late autumn. But in the southern regions, the grass usually dries up by June. There, flowering can begin as early as the second half of April. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on the appearance of inflorescences.

Separately dried flowers are a great addition to tea brewing.

Stinging nettle stalks are cut and dried in the shade in the air for about three hours. After that, the leaves and inflorescences are cut off. The latter can be used separately as an additive to tea. Next, the raw materials are dried and folded into linen or paper packaging.

It is impossible to use a plastic bag or glass jars for storing dried nettles. When the temperature drops inside, condensation forms. Shelf life of medicinal herbs is two years.

You can not collect medicinal raw materials in environmentally polluted places:

• near highways and railway lines;
• in landfills;
• near cattle burial grounds;
• close to active or newly operating industrial enterprises;
• in places of storage of mineral fertilizers;
• surroundings of various buildings.

Raw materials are collected at a distance of more than 200 m from an unfavorable place.

The use of dioecious nettle in other areas

Young shoots are used to make vitamin soups. It is salted and fermented for use in winter. In the Caucasus, fresh leaves are added to salads and other dishes.

Nettle decoction is used to make hair shiny and silky. They rinse their heads after washing.

The oil is used to improve the condition of the skin. It normalizes lipid metabolism, helps to smooth wrinkles on the face and prevents the formation of dandruff in the scalp.

Stinging nettle stimulates lactation and increases milk yield in cattle. Farmers often use it as a feed additive when formulating a diet for dairy cattle. Unscrupulous farmers feed their laying hens with this grass. Due to the high content of carotene, dioica nettle contributes to the coloring of egg yolks in a bright orange color.

Conclusion

Stinging nettle more than once helped out in the past centuries in the spring, when food supplies were already coming to an end. She supplied people not only with nutrients, but also with a complex of vitamins. Today it is more often used as a medicinal plant, although it can diversify the spring menu.