Boehmeria cylindrica
(L.) Sw.
Urticaceae
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
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 Status | Least Concern |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial |
| Height | 1.00 m |
| Self-fertile | No |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
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.
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
