Biology:Urticaceae

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The Urticaceae /ɜːrtɪˈkeɪsiː/ are a family, the nettle family, of flowering plants. The family name comes from the genus Urtica. The Urticaceae family includes a number of well-known and useful plants, including nettles in the genus Urtica, Ramie (Boehmeria nivea), māmaki (Pipturus albidus), and ajlai (Debregeasia saeneb).

The family includes about 2,625 species, grouped into 53 genera.[1] The largest genera are Pilea (500 to 715 species), Elatostema (300 species), Urtica (80 species), and Cecropia (75 species). Cecropia contains many myrmecophytes.[2]

Urticaceae species can be found worldwide, but most species are found in tropical ecosystems, especially tropical Asia.[3]

Description

Urticaceae species can be herbs (e.g. Urtica, Parietaria), shrubs(e.g. Pilea), hemi-epiphytes, or, rarely, trees (Dendrocnide, Cecropia). Their leaves are usually entire and bear stipules.

Urticating hairs are often present.[4] Stinging trichomes on the leaves break upon contact, imbedding a sharp tip into animal skin which is filled with an irritating liquid. This liquid consists of compounds such as histamines and acetylcholines that create a irritating skin reaction.[5] These urticating trichomes are an herbivory defense against primarily mammals, but also defend against invertebrate herbivory as well.[5]

Urticaceae flowers are typically unisexual, with rare cases of functionally hermaphroditic flowers[4]. Pistillate flowers have superior pseudomonomerous ovaries extending to one style. This family has a gynoecium with two carpels, and a perianth of four to five[4]. Urticacids explosively release their pollen when their urticaceaous stamens dry in the heat, causing the filaments to straighten and the anthers to release pollen in a swift motion[6]. Plants are then wind-pollinated. Fruits are achenes.[7]

Male and female flower of Urtica

Additional characteristics represented by members in the family are leaves with cystolith or silicone accumulation.[7] Some members exhibit latex presence only in the bark as an anti-herbivory defense.[7]

While the stings delivered by Urticaceae species are often unpleasant, they seldom pose any direct threat to health, and deaths directly attributed to stinging are exceedingly rare; species known to cause human fatalities include Dendrocnide cordata[8][9] and Urtica ferox.[10]

Urtica angustifolia, East-Asian Nettle

Uses

Many members of Urticaceae are cultivated and foraged worldwide for various uses, including food, medicines, and to create tools. Some notable species include:

  • Pouzolzia mixta (soap nettle), is used as a culinary herb, made into rope, and is a source of traditional medicine in several southern African countries.[11]
  • Urtica angustifolia, which grows throughout eastern Asia, is a important traditional Chinese medicine plant.[12]
  • Cecropia obtusa, Laportea aestuans, and Urera baccifera are all species used as anti-inflammatory and diabetes medicine in Brazil.[7]
  • While Urtica dioica stinging hairs cause inflammation, the plant has been used to treat a large variety of medical issues, including, but not limited to: arthritis, gout, anemia, and eczema.[13]

Diseases

The Urticaceae are subject to many bacterial, viral, fungal, and nematode parasitic diseases. Among them are:

Fossil record

The fossil record of Urticaceae is scattered and mostly based on dispersed fruits. Twelve species based on fossil achenes are known from the Late Cretaceous of Central Europe. Most were assigned to the extant genera Boehmeria (three species), Debregeasia (one species) and Pouzolzia (three species), while three species were assigned to the extinct genus Urticoidea.[17]

A Colombian fossil flora of the Maastrichtian stage has yielded leaves that resemble leaves of the tribe Ceropieae.[18]

In the Cenozoic fossil leaves from the Ypresian Allenby Formation preserve distinct trichomes, and have been attributed to the Tribe Urticeae in the fossil record. The leaves had originally been identified as Rubus by earlier workers on the Eocene Okanagan Highlands, but Devore et al (2020) interpreted the preserved hairs along the stem and major veins as stinging trichomes, rather than simple hairs or thorns.[19]

Taxonomy

Classification

The APG II system puts the Urticaceae in the order Rosales, while older systems consider them part of the Urticales, along with Ulmaceae, Moraceae, and Cannabaceae. Urticaceae is a monophyletic group.[20]

Phylogeny

Modern molecular phylogenetics suggest the following relationships[21][22] (see also [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32]):

 
 

Moraceae (outgroup)

 
Urticaceae
 
Urticeae
 
 

Laportea

 
 
 
 

Obetia

 
 

Urera pro parte

 
 
 
 

Touchardia

 
 
 

Urera pro parte

 
 

Poikilospermum

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Girardinia

 
 
 

Dendrocnide

 
 

Discocnide

 
 
 
 
 

Nanocnide

 
 

Urtica (including Hesperocnide)

 
 
 
 
Elatostemateae
 
 

Procris

 
 
 

Pellionia

 
 

Elatostema

 
 
 
 
 

Myriocarpa + Gyrotaenia

 
 
 

Lecanthus

 
 

Pilea (including Sarcopilea)

 
 
 
 
 
 
Cecropieae
 
 

Coussapoa

 
 
 

Myrianthus

 
 

Cecropia

 
 
 
 
 

Leucosyke

 
 

Maoutia

 
 
 
 
Boehmerieae
 

Oreocnide

 
 
 

Phenax

 
 
 
 

Chamabainia

 
 
 
 

Gonostegia

 
 
 

Pouzolzia pro parte

 
 
 

Neodistemon

 
 
 

Rousselia

 
 

Hemistylus

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Pouzolzia pro parte

 
 
 

Neraudia

 
 

Pipturus (including Nothocnide)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Boehmeria pro parte

 
 
 

Debregeasia

 
 
 

Astrothalamus

 
 
 

Archiboehmeria

 
 
 

Boehmeria pro parte

 
 

Sarcochlamys

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Forsskaoleeae
 

Forsskaolea

 
 
 

Didymodoxa

 
 

Droguetia (including Australina)

 
 
 
Parietarieae
 

Parietaria

 
 
 

Soleirolia

 
 

Gesnouinia

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tribes and genera

  • Pilea cadierei
    Pilea cadierei
  • Pilea pumila
    Pilea pumila
  • Dendrocnide sp.
    Dendrocnide sp.
  • Elatostema umbellatum
    Elatostema umbellatum
  • Urtica dioica
    Urtica dioica
  • Boehmeria nivea
    Boehmeria nivea
  • Parietaria judaica flowers
    Parietaria judaica flowers
  • Urtica dioica stinging hairs
    Urtica dioica stinging hairs
  • Leaves of Dendrocnide meyeniana
    Leaves of Dendrocnide meyeniana
  • The dotted bumps on the leaves of Urtica thunbergiana
    The dotted bumps on the leaves of Urtica thunbergiana

References

  1. ↑ Christenhusz, M. J. M., and Byng, J. W. (2016). "The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase". Phytotaxa 261 (3): 201–217. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1. Bibcode: 2016Phytx.261..201C. http://biotaxa.org/Phytotaxa/article/download/phytotaxa.261.3.1/20598. 
  2. ↑ Chomicki G, Renner SS. (2015). "Phylogenetics and molecular clocks reveal the repeated evolution of ant-plants after the late Miocene in Africa and the early Miocene in Australasia and the Neotropics". New Phytologist 207 (2): 411–424. doi:10.1111/nph.13271. PMID 25616013. Bibcode: 2015NewPh.207..411C. 
  3. ↑ Fu, Xiao-Gang; Liu, Jie; Milne, Richard I.; Monro, Alex K.; Liu, Shui-Yin; Tian, Qin; Stull, Gregory W.; Kipkoech, Amos et al. (2025-12-17). "A robust phylogenomic framework supports a revised intrafamilial classification of Urticaceae". Plant Diversity. doi:10.1016/j.pld.2025.12.003. ISSN 2468-2659. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468265925002185. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Pedersoli, Giseli D; Staedler, Yannick M; Schönenberger, Jürg; Teixeira, Simone P (2022-11-11). "A comparative approach reveals diversity of floral developmental processes in Urticaceae" (in en). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 200 (4): 465–490. doi:10.1093/botlinnean/boac028. ISSN 0024-4074. https://academic.oup.com/botlinnean/article/200/4/465/6605086. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Tuberville, Tracey D.; Dudley, Peter G.; Pollard, A. Joseph (February 1996). "Responses of Invertebrate Herbivores to Stinging Trichomes of Urtica dioica and Laportea canadensis". Oikos (Wiley) 75 (1): 83–88. doi:10.2307/3546324. ISSN 0030-1299. Bibcode: 1996Oikos..75...83T. https://doi.org/10.2307/3546324. 
  6. ↑ Pedersoli, Giseli D.; Leme, Flávia M.; Leite, Viviane G.; Teixeira, Simone P. (2019-03-15). "Anatomy solves the puzzle of explosive pollen release in wind-pollinated urticalean rosids" (in en). American Journal of Botany 106 (3): 489–506. doi:10.1002/ajb2.1254. ISSN 0002-9122. PMID 30875436. https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajb2.1254. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Corrado, Amanda Roberta; Gagliatti, André Luiz; Romaniuc Neto, Sergio; Ming, Lin Chau (2015-06-11). "Reports of the use of Urticaceae collected in Brazil and deposited in the herbaria of Kew (K), New York (NY) and Paris (P)". Ethnobiology and Conservation 4. doi:10.15451/ec2015-5-4.5-1-12. ISSN 2238-4782. https://doi.org/10.15451/ec2015-5-4.5-1-12. 
  8. ↑ Hurley, Marina (October–December 2000). "Selective Stingers". CSIRO. http://www.ecosmagazine.com/?act=view_file&file_id=EC105p18.pdf. 
  9. ↑ MacFarlane, W.V. (1963). "The Stinging Properties of Laportea". Economic Botany 17 (4): 303–311. doi:10.1007/BF02860137. Bibcode: 1963EcBot..17..303M. 
  10. ↑ Poisonous native plants , The Encyclopedia of New Zealand
  11. ↑ Maroyi, A (2023-12-06). "Biological and medicinal properties of Pouzolzia mixta solms (Urticaceae): a narrative review". African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development 23 (10): 24825–24843. doi:10.18697/ajfand.125.23570. ISSN 1684-5374. https://doi.org/10.18697/ajfand.125.23570. 
  12. ↑ Liu, Mu; Lu, Jinsen; Li, Baoyong; Zhang, Lvshui (2023-01-02). "The complete chloroplast genome of Urtica angustifolia Fisch. ex Hornem. (Urticaceae), an important kind of traditional Chinese medicine in China". Mitochondrial DNA Part B 8 (1): 116–118. doi:10.1080/23802359.2022.2057246. ISSN 2380-2359. https://doi.org/10.1080/23802359.2022.2057246. 
  13. ↑ Đurović, Saša; Kojić, Ivan; Radić, Danka; Smyatskaya, Yulia A.; Bazarnova, Julia G.; Filip, Snežana; Tosti, Tomislav (2024-03-18). "Chemical Constituents of Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica L.): A Comprehensive Review on Phenolic and Polyphenolic Compounds and Their Bioactivity". International Journal of Molecular Sciences 25 (6): 3430. doi:10.3390/ijms25063430. ISSN 1422-0067. PMID 38542403. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Common Names of Plant Diseases: Diseases of Foliage Plants (House Plants): Urticaceae". The American Phytopathological Society. 26 March 1993. http://www.apsnet.org/publications/commonnames/Pages/FoliagePlants.aspx. 
  15. ↑ Chase, A. R. (1983). "Influence of host plant and isolate source on Myrothecium leaf spot of foliage plants". Plant Disease 67 (6): 668–671. doi:10.1094/PD-67-668. Bibcode: 1983PlDis..67..668C. http://www.apsnet.org/publications/PlantDisease/BackIssues/Documents/1983Articles/PlantDisease67n06_668.PDF. 
  16. ↑ Nguyen, Thu Ha, Mathur, S. B., & Neergaard, Paul (1973). "Seed-borne species of Myrothecium and their pathogenic potential". Transactions of the British Mycological Society 61 (2): 347–354, IN14–IN16. doi:10.1016/S0007-1536(73)80156-1. 
  17. ↑ Else Marie Friis; Peter R. Crane; Kaj Raunsgaard Pedersen (18 Aug 2011). Early Flowers and Angiosperm Evolution. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-59283-3. 
  18. ↑ Treiber, E. L.; Gaglioti, A. L.; Romaniuc-Neto, S.; Madriñán, S.; Weiblen, G. D. (2016). "Phylogeny of the Cecropieae (Urticaceae) and the evolution of an ant-plant mutualism". Systematic Botany 41 (1): 56–66. doi:10.1600/036364416X690633. Bibcode: 2016SysBo..41...56T. 
  19. ↑ DeVore, M. L.; Nyandwi, A.; Eckardt, W.; Bizuru, E.; Mujawamariya, M.; Pigg, K. B. (2020). "Urticaceae leaves with stinging trichomes were already present in latest early Eocene Okanogan Highlands, British Columbia, Canada". American Journal of Botany 107 (10): 1449–1456. doi:10.1002/ajb2.1548. PMID 33091153. 
  20. ↑ Kim, Changkyun; Deng, Tao; Chase, Mark; Zhang, Dai-Gui; Nie, Ze-Long; Sun, Hang (2015-02-09). "Generic phylogeny and character evolution in Urticeae (Urticaceae) inferred from nuclear and plastid DNA regions". Taxon 64 (1): 65–78. doi:10.12705/641.20. ISSN 0040-0262. Bibcode: 2015Taxon..64...65K. https://doi.org/10.12705/641.20. 
  21. ↑ Wu Z-Y, Monro AK, Milne RI, Wang H, Liu J, Li D-Z. (2013). "Molecular phylogeny of the nettle family (Urticaceae) inferred from multiple loci of three genomes and extensive generic sampling". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 69 (3): 814–827. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2013.06.022. PMID 23850510. Bibcode: 2013MolPE..69..814W. 
  22. ↑ Wu Z-Y, Milne RI, Chen C-J, Liu J, Wang H, Li D-Z. (2015). "Ancestral state reconstruction reveals rampant homoplasy of diagnostic morphological characters in Urticaceae, conflicting with current classification schemes". PLoS ONE 10 (11). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0141821. PMID 26529598. Bibcode: 2015PLoSO..1041821W. 
  23. ↑ Sytsma KJ, Morawetz J, Pires JC, Morden CW. (2000). "Phylogeny of the Urticales based on three molecular data sets, with emphasis on relationships within Urticaceae". American Journal of Botany 87 (6): 162. http://2000.botanyconference.org/section13/abstracts/232.shtml. 
  24. ↑ Sytsma KJ, Morawetz J, Pires C, Nepokroeff M, Conti E, Zjhra M, Hall JC, Chase MW. (2002). "Urticalean rosids: Circumscription, rosid ancestry, and phylogenetics based on rbcL, trnL–F, and ndhF sequences". American Journal of Botany 89 (9): 1531–1546. doi:10.3732/ajb.89.9.1531. PMID 21665755. Bibcode: 2002AmJB...89.1531S. http://www.bricol.net/research/CICphylog/CICfinalSTUFF/Urtical-rosids.pdf. 
  25. ↑ Hadiah JT, Quinn CJ, Conn BJ. (2003). "Phylogeny of Elatostema (Urticaceae) using chloroplast DNA data". Telopea 10 (1): 235–246. doi:10.7751/telopea20035618. Bibcode: 2003Telop..10..235H. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277933656. 
  26. ↑ Datwyler SL, Weiblen G. (2004). "On the origin of the fig: Phylogenetic relationships of Moraceae from ndhF sequences". American Journal of Botany 91 (5): 767–777. doi:10.3732/ajb.91.5.767. PMID 21653431. Bibcode: 2004AmJB...91..767D. 
  27. ↑ Zerega NJC, Clement WL, Datwyler SL, Weiblen GD. (2005). "Biogeography and divergence times in the mulberry family (Moraceae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 37 (2): 402–416. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.07.004. PMID 16112884. Bibcode: 2005MolPE..37..402Z. 
  28. ↑ Monro AK. (2006). "The revision of species-rich genera: A phylogenetic framework for the strategic revision of Pilea (Urticaceae) based on cpDNA, nrDNA, and morphology". American Journal of Botany 93 (3): 426–441. doi:10.3732/ajb.93.3.426. PMID 21646202. Bibcode: 2006AmJB...93..426M. 
  29. ↑ Hadiah JT, Conn BJ, Quinn CJ (2008). "Infra-familial phylogeny of Urticaceae, using chloroplast sequence data". Australian Systematic Botany 21 (5): 375–385. doi:10.1071/SB08041. Bibcode: 2008AuSyB..21..375H. 
  30. ↑ Conn BJ, Hadiah JT (2009). "Nomenclature of tribes within the Urticaceae". Kew Bulletin 64 (2): 349–352. doi:10.1007/s12225-009-9108-4. Bibcode: 2009KewBu..64..349C. 
  31. ↑ Kim C, Deng T, Chase M, Zhang D-G, Nie Z-L, Sun H. (2015). "Generic phylogeny and character evolution in Urticeae (Urticaceae) inferred from nuclear and plastid DNA regions". Taxon 64 (1): 65–78. doi:10.12705/641.20. Bibcode: 2015Taxon..64...65K. 
  32. ↑ Treiber EL, Gaglioti EL, Romaniuc-Neto S, Madriñán S, Weiblen GD. (2016). "Phylogeny of the Cecropieae (Urticaceae) and the evolution of an ant–plant mutualism". Systematic Botany 41 (1): 56–66. doi:10.1600/036364416X690633. Bibcode: 2016SysBo..41...56T. 
  33. ↑ Deng Tao; Kim C; Zhang D-G; Zhang J-W; Li Z-M; Nie Z-L; Sun H. (2013). "Zhengyia shennongensis: A new bulbiliferous genus and species of the nettle family (Urticaceae) from central China exhibiting parallel evolution of the bulbil trait". Taxon 62 (1): 89–99. doi:10.1002/tax.621008. Bibcode: 2013Taxon..62...89D. 

Further reading

  • Pignatti, Sandro (1982) (in it). Flora d'Italia. Bologna: Edagricole. ISBN 978-88-506-2449-2. 
  • Friis, Ib (1989). Urticaceae. Flora of tropical East Africa. Rotterdam: A.A. Balkema and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. ISBN 978-90-6191-352-8. 

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