Urticaceae FAMILY

Urtica massaica

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

The stems and leaves are covered with fiercely stinging hairs[ 398 Title Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania Publication Author Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B. Publisher Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi. Year 2002 ISBN 9966-896-60-0 Description A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants. ]. The sting is painful, but it wears off after a few minutes[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ].

Botanical Description

Urtica massaica is an erect, herbaceous, perennial plant forming loose clumps of few-branched stems from a creeping rhizome. The stems grow up to 2 metres long and are covered with fiercely stinging hairs[ 398 Title Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania Publication Author Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B. Publisher Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi. Year 2002 ISBN 9966-896-60-0 Description A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild as a local source of food and medicines.

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeEast tropical Africa - eastern DR Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania.

HabitatGrows well in gaps, on disturbed ground in montane forests, near human habitation, around cattle enclosures, in abandoned fields and in secondary bushland after clearing of forests in high-altitude areas, at elevations from 1,500 - 3,200 metres[ 398 Title Edible Wild Plants of Tanzania Publication Author Ruffo, C.K.: Birnie, A. & Tengnas, B. Publisher Regional Land Management Unit; Nairobi. Year 2002 ISBN 9966-896-60-0 Description A very well presented, simple guide to growing and utilizing wild food plants in Tanzania, with line drawings of each plant, a description, habitat and range, non-food as well as food uses, plus basic information on growing the plants. ].