Nettle family
Urtica dioica (Stinging nettle)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Urticaceae Juss., 1789
Synonyms
Cecropiaceae C. C. Berg[1]

Urticaceae, or the nettle family, is a family of flowering plants. The family name comes from the genus Urtica (nettles). Urticaceae includes a number of well-known, interesting and useful plants, including the aforementioned nettles, ramie (Boehmeria nivea), māmaki (Pipturus albidus), and ajlai (Debregeasia saeneb).

The family counts more or less 2600 species, grouped into 54 to 79 genera, according to the database of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The largest genera are Pilea (500 to 715 species), Elatostema (300 species), Urtica (80 species), and Cecropia (75 species).

Urticaceae can be found worldwide, apart from the polar regions.

Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Description 3 Genera 4 Image gallery 5 References

[edit] Taxonomy

APG II system puts Urticaceae in order Rosales, while older system consider it part of Urticales, along with Ulmaceae, Moraceae and Cannabaceae. APG still considers "old" Urticales a monophyletic group, but does not recognise it as an order on its own.

[edit] Description

Urticaceae can be shrubs (e.g. Pilea), lianas, herbs (e.g. Urtica. Parietaria), or, rarely, trees (e.g. Dendrocnide, Cecropia).

Leaves are usually entire and bear stipules. Urticating hairs are often present.

Urticaceae have usually unisexual flowers and can be both monoecious or dioecious. They are pollinated by the wind. Most disperse their pollen when the stamens are mature and their filaments straighten explosively: a peculiar and conspicuously specialised mechanism.

[edit] Genera

Aboriella Achudemia Archiboehmeria Astrothalamus Australina Boehmeria Cecropia Chamabainia Coussapoa Cypholophus Debregeasia Dendrocnide Didymodoxa Discocnide Droguetia Elatostema

Forsskaolea Gesnouinia Gibbsia Girardinia Laportea Lecanthus Leucosyke Maoutia Meniscogyne Metatrophis[2] Myriocarpa Nanocnide Neodistemon Neraudia Nothocnide Obetia Oreocnide

Parietaria Pellionia Petelotiella Phenax Pilea Pipturus Poulzolzia Procris Rousselia Sarcochlamys Sarcopilea Soleirolia Touchardia Urera Urtica - nettle

[edit] Image gallery

Pilea cadierei	Pilea pumila	Dendrocnide sp.	Elatostema umbellatum
Urtica dioica	Boehmeria nivea	Parietaria judaica, flowers	Urtica dioica, stinging hairs

[edit] References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Urticaceae

• Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 7, May 2006 [and more or less continuously updated since]. [1]
• (Italian) Sandro Pignatti, Flora d'Italia, Edagricole, Bologna 1982. ISBN 8850624492