Urtica lobulata
Burch.
iNaturalist· cc-by-sa
(c) douglaseustonbrown, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by douglaseustonbrown
iNaturalist· cc-by-sa
(c) douglaseustonbrown, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by douglaseustonbrown
Description
A nettle herb of the Urticaceae family growing to about 80 cm tall, found in subtropical regions.
This description is brief — help expand it
Edible Uses
The leaves are cooked and eaten as a potherb.
Traditional Uses
The leaves are cooked and eaten as a potherb.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
Urtica ferox is a plant usually avoided by people, but it did have some traditional and medicinal uses for the indigenous Māori people. In Māori mythology, the plant was placed in forests to prevent people moving freely and to irritate people. The Polynesian explorer, Kupe, was said to have placed several obstacles, including this plant, to hinder pursuers whose wives he had stolen. In traditional medicinal practices, the bark of U. ferox and the leaves of kawakawa (Piper excelsum), boiled together, were used to treat skin conditions. The plant was also a traditional Māori food source. The inner stems were sometimes consumed after the leaves and outer bark had been removed. The thin film that makes up the inner bark was also eaten raw and is said to have a sweet taste.
Distribution
It is a subtropical plant.
Where It Grows
Africa, Lesotho, South Africa, Southern Africa,
Notes
The name is ambiguous.
References (6)
- Fox, F. W. & Young, M. E. N., 1982, Food from the Veld. Delta Books. p 359
- Grivetti, L. E., 1980, Agricultural development: present and potential role of edible wild plants. Part 2: Sub-Saharan Africa, Report to the Department of State Agency for International Development. p 74 (As Urtica burchellii)
- Guillarmod, J., 1971,
- Peters, C. R., O'Brien, E. M., and Drummond, R.B., 1992, Edible Wild plants of Sub-saharan Africa. Kew. p 197
- Ruiters-Welcome, A. K., 2019, Food plants of southern Africa. Ph.D. thesis. Univ. of Johannesburg p 106
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- Welcome, A. K. & Van Wyk, B.-E., 2019, An inventory and analysis of the food plants of southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany 122 (2019) 136–179
