Common Name:

General Information

Girardinia bullosa is an erect, annual or short-lived perennial plant; the stems are generally unbranched or little branched near the top;; they are densely adorned with stinging hairs up to 8mm long; are somewhat lignified and usually hollow. The plant can grow 2 - 3 metres tall, with the stems up to 35mm in diameter[, ].
The plant is often harvested from the wild for local use of its fibre. It is sometimes cultivated[].

Known Hazards

The plant is densely covered with stinging hairs. It has the longest stinging hairs in the Urticaceae, but the sting seems less severe than that of some other genera, such as Laportea[].

Botanical References

Range

East tropical Africa - southern Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, eastern DR Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania.

Habitat

Clearings and natural glades in rain-forest or at forest edges; grassland along roads and near houses; often in abandoned cultivations; forest with[?]sometimes in streamside marshes in wet montane forest, at elevations from 1,800 - 3,100 metres[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual/Perennial
Height	2.50 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The plant does not resprout after cutting[].
After the stems have been harvested in Burundi, the stinging hairs are removed and the entire bark is removed from the stem, after which the inner bark is separated in one piece and dried[].
Usually monoecious, the plant is occasionally dioecious, in which case both male and female forms will need to be grown if seed is required[

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The bast fibre is made into string, sewing thread and textiles[].
In Ethiopia the bark is used for tying animals, making fences and making rope[].

Propagation

Seed -

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