134 MONOECIA— TETRANDRIA. Urtica. 



or alternate, simple leaves, mostly serrated. Fl. in clus- 

 ters, panicles, spikes, or heads, sometimes on separate 

 plants, green. Hei-hage in all our species copiously 

 armed with venomous perforated bristles, each of which 

 has a bag of liquid poison at its base. This liquor, by a 

 slight pressure of the hand, is transmitted into the skin, 

 causing great irritation. Most of the numerous exotic 

 species have not this stinging property. 



1. V. pihdifera. Roman Nettle. 



Leaves opposite, ovate, serrated; with transverse ribs. 

 Fertile flowers in globular heads. 



U. pilulifera. Linn. Sp.PlAZQb. fVilld.v. 4.347. FL Br. 10\4. 

 Engl. Bot.v.3. t. 148. Mill. Illustr. t. 79. 



U, pilulifera, folio profundius, Urticse majoris in modum, serrato, 

 semine magno lini. Rail Syn.\4Q. 



U. romana. Ger.Em.70&.f. Lob. Ic. !)22.f. Trag. Hist. 3.f. 

 Fuchs. Hist. 106./. Bauh. Hist. v. 3. p. 2. 445./. 



U. vera. Fuchs. Ic. 58./. 



U. prima. Matth. Talgr. v. 2. 469. f. Carrier. Epit.86\.f. Da- 

 lech. Hist. 1245./. 



Roman Nettle. Petiv. H. Brit. t.l.f.M. 



In waste ground, amongst rubbish, chiefly near the Bca. 



At Yarmouth, Norfolk, and Aldborough, Suffolk. Ray. About 

 Lowestoft and Bungay, Suffolk. 



Annual. June, July. 



Herb armed all over with peculiarly venomous stings. Stem 

 branched, leafy, bluntly quadrangular, often purple, about 2 feet 

 high. Leaves of a dull greyish green, ovate, sometimes heart, 

 shaped, coarsely serrated, with many transverse ribs. Stipulas 

 ovate. Fl. axillary, on twin stalks ; that of the barren ones 

 loosely panicled ; of the fertile simple, much the shortest, bear- 

 ing a dense, globular, stinging head of tumid powers. Seed 

 brown, polished. 



U. balearica of Linnaeus appears a mere variety, with more heart- 

 shaped leaves ; for this is evidently a variable character, in that 

 as well as in our romana. 



2. U. urens. Small Nettle. 



Leaves opposite, elliptical, with about five longitudinal 

 ribs. Clusters nearly simple. 



U.urens. Lirin. Sp. PI. 1396. Willd.v.4.352. Fl.Br.\0\5. Engl. 

 Bat. V. 18. t. 1236. Curt. Lond.fasc. 6. t. 70. Hook. Scot. 271. 

 FLDan.t.739. 



