FEN NETTLE
STINGLESS NETTLE
Urtica dioica ssp. galeopsifolia
Nettle [Urticaceae] 
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Nettle [Urticaceae]
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| 19th Aug 2011, Priesthaggard, Eire. | Photo: © Paula O'Meara |
| A sub-species of Stinging Nettle but one which is stingless or almost so. |
| 19th Aug 2011, Priesthaggard, Eire. | Photo: © Paula O'Meara |
| Similar in many ways to Stinging Nettle but with suble differences. Flowers in similar catkins. |
| 19th Aug 2011, Priesthaggard, Eire. | Photo: © Paula O'Meara |
| Leaves are usually longer and much narrower than those of Stinging Nettle |
| 19th Aug 2011, Priesthaggard, Eire. | Photo: © Paula O'Meara |
| Flowers look similar. The clusters of flowers occur at several flowering nodes. In Fen Nettle the lowest flowering node is mostly between the 13th to 22nd from the base of the plant; but in Stinging Nettle the flower clusters usually start much lower, between 7th - 14th node. |
| 19th Aug 2011, Priesthaggard, Eire. | Photo: © Paula O'Meara |
| The flowers lack petals, are greenish to pinkish, and have 4 lobes. |
| 19th Aug 2011, Priesthaggard, Eire. | Photo: © Paula O'Meara |
| Upper surface of leaves largely bereft of hairs. Teeth prominent and coarse. |
| 19th Aug 2011, Priesthaggard, Eire. | Photo: © Paula O'Meara |
| Several trichomes can be seen on upper surface of leaf in close-up. Text ..................... |
| 19th Aug 2011, Priesthaggard, Eire. | Photo: © Paula O'Meara |
| Teeth have a fine hair at tip, and much shorter hars on the edge. |
| 19th Aug 2011, Priesthaggard, Eire. | Photo: © Paula O'Meara |
| Stems mostly covered in fine hairs. Several much longer trichomes can be seen, possibly without irritant monoamines within the enlarged base. |
| 19th Aug 2011, Priesthaggard, Eire. | Photo: © Paula O'Meara |
| Underside of leaf; fine hairs, especially on raised veins with occasional trichome. |
| 19th Aug 2011, Priesthaggard, Eire. | Photo: © Paula O'Meara |
| Short hairs and fewer trichomes on undersurface of leaves. |
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Some similarities to : Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica ssp. dioica) and to Small Nettle (Urtica urens) (see respective entries for differences), but Fen Nettle is much less frequently found. Grows on fens, especially those around Wickham, Cambridgeshire and also in damp places or riverbanks, but cares not for weedy places. Un-like both Stinging Nettle and Small Nettle it is mostly without stinging hairs, but is covered in a dense mat of smaller and finer non-stinging hairs. ANY TEXT GOES HERE |
 Urtica (Nettles) |
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Nettle [Urticaceae]
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