Urtica dioica subsp. gracilis

(Aiton) Selander

Svensk Bot. Tidskr. 41: 271. 1947.

EndemicIllustrated
Basionym: Urtica gracilis Aiton Hort. Kew. 3: 341. 1789
Synonyms: Urtica californica Greene Urtica dioica var. angustifolia Schlechtendal Urtica dioica var. californica (Greene) C. L. Hitchcock Urtica dioica var. gracilis (Aiton) R. L. Taylor & MacBryde Urtica dioica var. lyallii (S. Watson) C. L. Hitchcock Urtica dioica var. procera (Muhlenberg ex Willdenow) Weddell Urtica lyallii Urtica lyallii var. californica (Greene) Jepson Urtica procera Urtica viridis
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 3.

Stems glabrous or strigose, with a few stinging hairs. Leaf blades abaxially bearing stinging hairs, otherwise glabrous or puberulent, adaxially without or rarely with a few stinging hairs. Flowers unisexual, staminate and pistillate mostly on same plant. 2n = 26, 52.


Phenology: Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat: Alluvial woods, margins of deciduous woodlands, fencerows, waste places
Elevation: 0-3100 m

Distribution

V3 530-distribution-map.gif

St. Pierre and Miquelon, Alta., B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr., N.W.T., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon, Ala., Alaska, Ariz., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., Ga., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Nebr., N.H., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Okla., Oreg., Pa., R.I., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis., Wyo.

Discussion

Native Americans used Urtica dioica subsp. gracilis medicinally for rheumatism, upset stomach,childbirth, paralysis, fevers, colds, tuberculosis, and as a general tonic, and as a witchcraft medicine (D. E. Moerman 1986).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
David E. Boufford +
(Aiton) Selander +
Urtica gracilis +
St. Pierre and Miquelon +, Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. +, N.W.T. +, N.S. +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Yukon +, Ala. +, Alaska +, Ariz. +, Calif. +, Colo. +, Conn. +, Del. +, Ga. +, Idaho +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Mont. +, Nebr. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Mex. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Utah +, Vt. +, Va. +, Wash. +, W.Va. +, Wis. +  and Wyo. +
0-3100 m +
Alluvial woods, margins of deciduous woodlands, fencerows, waste places +
Flowering late spring–summer. +
Svensk Bot. Tidskr. +
W1 +, Endemic +  and Illustrated +
Urtica californica +, Urtica dioica var. angustifolia +, Urtica dioica var. californica +, Urtica dioica var. gracilis +, Urtica dioica var. lyallii +, Urtica dioica var. procera +, Urtica lyallii +, Urtica lyallii var. californica +, Urtica procera +  and Urtica viridis +
Urtica dioica subsp. gracilis +
Urtica dioica +
subspecies +