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Useful Tropical Plants

Boehmeria cylindrica

(L.) Sw.

Urticaceae

+ Synonyms

Boehmeria atrovirens Gand.

Boehmeria austrina Small

Boehmeria dasypoda Miq.

Boehmeria decurrens Small

Boehmeria drummondiana Wedd.

Boehmeria elongata Blume

Boehmeria elongata Fisch. ex Hornem.

Boehmeria florida Miq.

Boehmeria lateriflora Muhl. ex Willd.

Boehmeria littoralis Sw.

Boehmeria longifolia Gand.

Boehmeria phyllostachya Miq.

Boehmeria scabra (Porter) Small

Duretia cylindrica Gaudich.

Duretia palustris Gaudich.

Gymnogyne elongata Didr.

Procris lateriflora Poir.

Procris littoralis (Sw.) Poir.

Ramium cylindricum Kuntze

Urtica capitata L.

Urtica cilindrica Crantz

Urtica cylindrica L.

Urtica distachya Spreng.

Urtica filiformis Walter

Urtica mariana Mill.

Urtica palustris Juss. ex Pers.

Common Name: False Nettle

Boehmeria cylindrica
Flowering stems
Photograph by: Gerrit Davidse
Creative Commons License
Boehmeria cylindrica Boehmeria cylindrica Boehmeria cylindrica Boehmeria cylindrica

General Information

Boehmeria cylindrica is a perennial plant with a stem that can become more or less woody and persist. The stem can be simple or branched, the plant commonly growing 50 - 150cm tall, and often forming large clumps[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
,
1105
Title
The New World Species of Boehmeria and Pouzolzia (Urticaceae, tribus Boehmerieae). A Taxonomic Revision
Publication
Opera Botanica 129 pp 1-103
Author
Wilmot-Dear C.M. & Friis I.
Publisher
 
Year
1996
ISBN
87-88702-37-5
Description
A comprehensive revision of the two genera.
].
The plant is gathered from the wild for use as a fibre plant[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].
Boehmeria cylindrica is widespread and while it is possibly declining in parts of its range, it is not thought that any global population decline is likely to meet (or be close to meeting) the threshold for Vulnerable. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2016)[
338
Title
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.iucnredlist.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].

Known Hazards

Although members of the nettle family, plants in this genus do not have stinging hairs[
235
Title
An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada
Publication
 
Author
Britton. N. L. Brown. A.
Publisher
Dover Publications. New York.
Year
1970
ISBN
0-486-22642-5
Description
Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.
].

Botanical References

270
Title
Flora of N. America
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
,
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
,
1105
Title
The New World Species of Boehmeria and Pouzolzia (Urticaceae, tribus Boehmerieae). A Taxonomic Revision
Publication
Opera Botanica 129 pp 1-103
Author
Wilmot-Dear C.M. & Friis I.
Publisher
 
Year
1996
ISBN
87-88702-37-5
Description
A comprehensive revision of the two genera.

Range

S. America - Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, Venezuela, the Guyanas, through central America, the Caribbean and eastern N. America to Quebec

Habitat

Moist or shady ground[
43
Title
Gray's Manual of Botany.Eighth Edition
Publication
 
Author
Fernald. M. L.
Publisher
American Book Co.; New York
Year
1950
ISBN
0442222505
Description
A bit dated but a good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.
]. Alluvial or moist, deciduous woods, swamps, bogs, marshes, wet meadows and ditches; from sea level to 1,800 metres in N. America[
270
Title
Flora of N. America
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
]. Damp or wet thickets, often in shallow water; 350 - 1,400 metres in Guatemala[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
].

Properties

Conservation StatusLeast Concern
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitPerennial
Height1.00 m
Self-fertileNo
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Boehmeria cylindrica has a very wide range from the subtropics of S. America, through the tropical regions of the Caribbean and central America north as far as the temperate zone of southern Canada.
Species in this genus generally succeed in a warm sandy soil[
1
Title
RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Publication
 
Author
F. Chittendon.
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Year
1951
ISBN
-
Description
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
] that is very well-drained[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A fibre obtained from the stems is used for cordage, nets etc[
169
Title
A Weavers Garden
Publication
 
Author
Buchanan. R.
Publisher
McGraw-Hill Contemporary
Year
1987
ISBN
0934026289
Description
Covers all aspects of growing your own clothes, from fibre plants to dyes.
]. Tough[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
]. Of no value[
454
Title
Useful Fiber Plants of the World
Publication
 
Author
Dodge C.R.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
Publisher
USDA; Washington.
Year
1897
ISBN
 
Description
A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Propagation

Seed - sow in a container in lightly shaded position, only just covering the seed. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on until large enough to plant out.
Division. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted straight into their permanent positions whilst smaller clumps are best potted up and kept in a cold frame until they are growing away well.
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-19. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Boehmeria+cylindrica>

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