Urtica dioica - The Stinging Nettle
The Stinging Nettle By Lachlan Royle The stinging nettle; perhaps the most hated plant in the UK by every child who would have to retrieve a football or a frisbee from within a deep patch. But there is a lot more to a stinging nettle than first meets the eye. Characteristics The Nettle itself can be broken into 4 key features, the roots are fibrous and thin and often fan out under the surface of the plant anchoring it into the soil. Then come the stem and the leaves, these are the bits that harbour the actual 'stingers', this sensation is caused by small hair like structures named trichomes, these contain a mixture of irritants including formic acid. Once a trichome comes into contact with a surface the end breaks off leaving a sharp point engorged in the potential attacker, this point is similar to that of a hypodermic needles. This broken off point then injects the toxins into the attacker, being barbed the trichomes are nigh impossible to remove and instead you must wait
