638 Order 115.— URTICACEjB. 



Order CXV. URTICACE^. Nettleworto. 



Herbs (and some tropical shrubs) with a watery juice, a tough, fibrous bark. 



Leaves stipulate, often opposite, flowers small, monoecious or dioecious, in panicles, 



racemes, or dense clusters, furnished with a regular calyx. Stamens opposite to tlie 



oiily.N: lobes. Ovary 1-celled, ovule erect, orthotropoua. Fruit a simple acheniuiD. 



Pigs. 50, 459. 



Genera 2.j, upecUs 700 7 generally diffusod in all cllmos. We retain under this order the Cni\- 

 nabjnea*, dismissing the Artocari)€iB, thus constituting a group which is at \t:as\.' practicaUy 

 natural. 



Propertied. — The Nettleworts are remarkable for the caustic secretion of their glandular, 

 Bt.tngini; hairs, which, had enough in our common nettle, attains a terrible virulence in certain 

 1!;. Indian species. The juice of the Ilempworts is bitter and narcotic. Savage nations pro- 

 cure an intoxicating liquor from the Hemp, and the more civilized a strong stimulant from the 

 Jfop. The libvous bark of Hemp and other species is highly valuable in the ai Is. 



SUBORDERS AND GENERA. 



I. UUTICEJE. — Filaments cronulato, expanding clastlcally. Fertile calyx 3 to S-sepalcd or 



toothed. Seed albuminou.s, wi til a straight embryo (*). 



* Herbs with stinging hairs. — Stamens 4. Leaves opposite Uetica. 1 



— Stamens 5. Leaves alternate Laportea. 2 



* Herbs Etinglees. — Stamens 8. Fertile calyx 8-sopaled. Leaves opposite Pilea. 'i 



— Stamens 4. — Fls. in slender spikes. Lvs. opp. or alt B(eumekia. 4 



— Fls, in involncrato cymes. Lvs. altern . . Parietaeia. 6 



II. CANNABINE.iE. — Filaments straight, or not clastic Fertile calyx of 1 sepal, lateral, em- 



bracing the ovary. Seed c-^albuminous, with a curved or spiral embryo (*). 



* Fruit avalvoless achenium, In astrobile-liko ament. Twining Hauui-ue. C 



* Fruit a 2-valved caryopsis, in axillary pairs. Lvs. digitate Cannabis. 7 



1. UR'TICA, Tourn. Nettle. (Lat. uro, to burn ; in reference to 

 the stinging species.) Flowers 8 , sometimes 3 ? ! S calyx 4-sepale(l, 

 with a cup-shaped, central rudiment of an ovary ; stamens 4 ; ? calyx 

 persistent, 4-Repaled, the outer pair minute, the inner at length sur- 

 rounding the shining, compressed achenium ; stigma 1, sessile. — Herbs 

 with stinging hairs. Lvs. opposite. Fls. green, in axillary or subter- 

 niiiial clusters or racemes. 



g Clusters compound, longer than the petioles Nos. I, 2 



§ Clusters simple, shorter, or not longer than the petioles Nos. 8-— 5 



1 U. prdcera Willd. St. iall, simple, i-sided, slightly hispid with few stings; lv6. 

 lanceolate, acute or obtuse at base, rough, hispid, prominently 5-veined, acutely ser- 

 rate ; panicles axillary, very branching, numerous, interruptedly spicate, lower 

 ones sterile, upper fertile. — Borders of fields, waste places, N. Eng. and Can. Sl 

 3 to 5f high, with a tough baric. Lvs. with the serratures incurved, acute or 

 somewhat acuminate at ape.x, 3 times longer than the petioles. Fls. in glomerate 

 panicles on the upper part of the stem. JL (U. gracilis Ait) 



2 U. dioioa L. Stingino Nettle. Very hispid and stinging; lvs. cordate, lance- 

 ovate, conspicuously acumiiiate, coarsely and acutely serrate, the point entire, pet- 

 ioles thrice shorter ; fls. 8 or 5 S , in branching, clustered, axillary, interrupted 

 Bpilces longer than the petioles. — it "Waste places, common. Stem 2 — 1( high, 

 branching, obtusely 4-angled, with opposite, short-stalked leaves which are 3 — i' 

 long, and about J as wide. Flowers small, green, in -axillary clusters, of mean 

 aspect, corresponding with the insidious character of the plant. JI., Aug. 

 § Eur. — Its power of stinging resides in minute, tubular hairs or prickles, which 

 transmit a venomous fluid when pressed. 



3 U. turens L. Dwarf Nettle. Lvs. broadly elliptic, or ovate, peiiolate, 3- 

 veined, deeply and acutely serrate ; clusters in spike-like, loose, simple pairs. — (J ! 

 "Weed, in cultivated grounds. Stem 12 — 20' high, hispid with venomous stings, 

 branching. Leaves 1' or more long, half as broad, on short petioles and with 

 large serratures. Stipules small, lanceolate, reflexed. Flowers in drooping, pi- 

 dunoulate clusters about aa long as the petioleSj both the sterile and fertile in iLs 



