Utah MTB

Posts Tagged ‘Stinging Nettle’

Common Names: Great stinging Nettle, Common Nettle
Genus: Urtica
Species: dioica
Parts Used: roots and leaves

This plant is a very interesting plant. When you look at it, it looks like an ordinary, hairy weed with attractive little flowers. It can be a very dangerous plant, however, because when you touch it with your bare skin, you will get a terrible sting, which is very painful. When you get this sting it can be so bad that you might need treatment for it. If it is a minor sting and you get home quick enough, you can put some anesthetic cream on it. The sting feels very much like a bee sting and can last for hours or days. The stinging sensation is caused by formic acid which covers the tiny hairs of the plant.

The stinging nettle grows to a height of 2 to 4 feet. The slender

stems are four-sided. It has a creeping, stretching root from which new shoots emerge. The dull, dark green leaves grow opposite each other on the stem. They are thin and sort of egg-shaped with a toothed and tapered end and covered with stinging hairs. They are 2 to 6 inches long and 1 to 2 inches wide. The hairs on the leaves are particularly painful. They loose their stinging qualities when they are dried.

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Wesanator

This was a very nice ride even after it started raining, the thunder and lighting were very loud and bright, guess we were pushing our luck, top of mountain trees all around and sitting on an aluminum lighting rod LMAO, but alas we made it ok through the  rain, bill was right no pics, not  till afterward, when i got a few of me and my muddy self.

This was just fun, and then we hit the down hill single track, where the stinging nettle was out in all its glory, I even think I heard bill scream but then again maybe not I might of been the wind I’ll leave it at that. So till next time all happy riding.