Types of nettles, description, useful and dangerous properties

Each of us is familiar with a plant such as nettle. However, not everyone knows that in nature there is a large number of types of culture. Since ancient times, people have known about the beneficial properties of nettle and actively used them in their needs. It is worth noting that the plant is very dangerous, and therefore when handling it you need to exercise caution.

Nettle plant

Nettle is a perennial herbaceous culture of the Krapivnye family. It is distributed in Asia and Europe, Australia and Africa, and also in North America. It can be found in China, India, Japan, Britain and the USA.

In people, the plant is called "zhigalka", "zhiguchka." Concerning the origin of the name of culture, the opinions of linguists vary. It is believed that the word "nettle" came from the Old Slavic kropiva.

The plant has been used by people since ancient times, since it contains a large number of nutrients and vitamins. Currently, the properties of nettles are used not only in folk medicine, but also in cosmetology and dietology. According to experts, there are more than 50 kinds of nettle in the world. On the territory of Russia there are only a few of them.

Description of the plant

There are different types of nettle, among them there are dioecious and monoecious representatives. The height of plants varies from 0.5 meters to 2 meters. The edges of the foliage can be chipped or be solid. The leaves are opposite each other.

The stems of the plant can be painted in any shades of green. On their surface is a large number of burning hairs. Each of them, in fact, is a kind of ampoule with acetylcholine, histamine, serotonin, tartaric, oxalic and formic acids.

During the contact of the hairs with the surface of the human body, the edge of the hair breaks off and enters the subcutaneous layers. So the contents of the "ampoule" burns our skin, causing a chemical burn. Such substances as acetylcholine, serotonin and histamine, cause a strong reddening, but oxalic and tartaric acids cause pain. Different kinds of nettle contain different amounts of these acids. Therefore, the intensity of their effects on the skin is completely different.

Types of nettle

As we have already mentioned, there are a lot of plant species in the world. In our article, we want to stop focusing only on those species that are characteristic of our country. The most common types of nettle in Russia:

1. Stinging nettle (Urtica angustifolia).
2. Stinging nettle (Urtica angustifolia).
3. Nettle cannabis (Urtica cannabina).
4. Nettle of Kiev (Urtica kioviensis).
5. Stinging nettle (Urtica galeopsifolia).
6. Stinging nettle (Urtica laetevirens).
7. Stinging nettle (Urtica pilulifera).
8. Nettle of Sonden (Urtica sondenii).
9. Stinging nettle (Urtica platyphylla).
10. Stinging nettle (Urtica urens).

Stinging Nettle

All kinds of nettles (photo and description are given in the article) are somewhat similar, but at the same time have their differences. Two-dot nettle is a perennial plant with very developed creeping roots. The height of the culture can be up to two meters. In spring the stems of the plant have a simple structure, but by the middle of summer numerous shoots appear in the sinuses. The plant has a dark green color. The stems of the nettle are densely covered with burning villi. The culture has small inflorescences of pale green color. After flowering, oblong fruits are formed.

Dioecious nettle is very common in Eurasia and in most of the countries of North Africa, Central Asia and China. In addition, the culture was brought to Australia and North America. In our country nettles (species and photos are given in the article) grows in forest and forest-steppe regions, as well as in the Far East and Siberia. The plant is able to form huge thickets in the area of damp meadows, on river banks, on wastelands, along fences and roads.

Stinging nettle

This type of stinging nettle is very common in France, Russia, Poland, Romania and other countries in Europe and North America. The plant is one-year old, it has tetrahedral stems, growing in height from 15 to 50 centimeters. The nettle leaves are painted dark green, and the trunk is covered with a huge number of burning hairs. The plant blooms with light green flowers, collected in spikelets, from May to late autumn.

Nettles Kievan

This type of nettle (described below) is found in France, Germany, Poland, Spain and Palestine. In addition, it is extremely common in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus and even listed in the Red Book in some territories. The perennial plant has grassy stems up to 1.2 m high. The leaves are dark green and covered with rare, but extremely burning villi.

Inflorescences of the plant contain flowers of male and female species. Kiev nettle has a long period of vegetation, until the onset of persistent frosts. She prefers wetlands, as well as lowlands along rivers and lakes.

Nettle-shaped nettle

The flat-leaved species grows in China, Japan and other East Asian countries, as well as in the Far East, the Kurile and Commander Islands, Kamchatka and Sakhalin. The plant has sufficiently high shoots, reaching up to 1.5 meters in height. The entire surface of the shoots is covered with stinging villi.

Stinged nettle

The narrow-leaved species can be found in mixed riverine and mountain forests in Korea, China, Mongolia and Japan. And in Russia, nettle is found in the Irkutsk, Chita regions, the Altai, the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Buryatia and the Irkutsk region. In height, the plant reaches 1.2 meters. All of it is covered with a dense layer of villi, but only a few of them are burning.

Ongaonga

Ongaonga (translated from Latin as "fierce nettles") is still known as the nettle tree. This is the most dangerous form of nettle. He grows exclusively in New Zealand. Only the nettle tree has a tree stem, which reaches five meters in height, and its thickness reaches 12 centimeters. The thick stalk of the plant is incredibly densely covered with stinging villi. It's hard to believe, but New Zealanders are afraid of meeting with such a tree, because they believe this is one of the most dangerous nettle species. The fact is that occasional meetings with such a plant cause difficulties with breathing, weakening of vision and temporary paralysis of the muscular system. Even a fatal case is known.

Imagine that about 75 people each year need serious inpatient treatment after meeting with such a "monster". Officially, there was only one case with a fatal outcome in 1962, when two young people accidentally got into nettle thickets and received multiple burns on their legs and hands. One of them paralyzed the muscles of the legs within an hour, breathing was difficult and vision was lost. He was urgently hospitalized, but after five hours he was gone. The doctors managed to save the second one. Since then, locals have tried to circumvent the tenth road one of the dangerous and burning kinds of nettle. But, unfortunately, it is not always possible to avoid unpleasant meetings. People who received burns, feel symptoms of malaise for two or three days, then recover.

The tree trunk of such a tree sometimes grows to five meters. But more often the plant forms two-meter thickets. The leaves and stems of such nettles (species and photos are shown in the course of the article) are entirely covered with white, very poisonous spines that reach a length of six millimeters. Each such spike inside is filled with histamine and formic acid. At the slightest contact with anything, the spines break down and the skin gets toxins, causing severe burns and a sharp throbbing pain.

The nettle has caused considerable harm to the inhabitants of New Zealand. Because of him, a considerable number of dogs and horses died. It remains a mystery why plants have such an impressive defense mechanism in the absence of enemies?

However, it turned out that ongaonga is not such an invulnerable "monster". There is an insect that is absolutely not afraid of wood burns. The butterfly larvae with the beautiful name of the Red Admiral not only do not fear dangerous toxins, they feed exclusively on the foliage of the nettle tree.

Useful properties of the plant

People far from botany find it difficult to distinguish the types of nettles (photo and description of some varieties are given in the article). Whatever variety of this group of plants is discussed, only the fact that all members of an extensive family have incredibly useful properties is important. Nettle contains phytoncides, tannins and phenolic acids. In minor amounts, it also found: bata-carotene, folic acid, vitamin H, choline, vitamin E and iodine.

Essential oils, porphyrin, sirotitin, phenocarbon and pantothenic acids, histamine, flavonoids are found in the foliage and stems of the plant. Even in the seeds of the plant contains vitamin C and linoleic acid.

The large content in the nettle of vitamin C explains its rather strong preventive effect and strengthening properties. Vitamin K removes inflammation and improves blood coagulability. But the high content of B vitamins allows the use of culture in the fight against the ailments of the nervous system. Phosphorus and calcium have a beneficial effect on the condition of the teeth and nails, and magnesium and potassium contribute to the full functioning of the heart and blood vessels. Due to the high content of iron in the nettle, the plant is used in the treatment of anemia. In addition, nettle helps in the fight against diabetes, because secretin reduces the level of sugar in the circulatory system, as well as the influence of radioactive radiation.

What and how to use?

More often people for treatment use the leaves of nettle, which must be pre-prepared from May to June. Nettles are harvested during the growing moon. It is at this time that the plant has a special power. The branches are first dried for several hours, and then they are cut off from the foliage and laid in a ventilated room with a thin layer for drying. The harvested material can be stored for two years.

Healing properties

Nettle is considered a real storehouse of medicinal properties. The main ones are the ability to restore blood, choleretic and diuretic influence, restoration of the mucous membrane of the digestive tract, normalization of the menstrual cycle, etc.

In the West, the plant is even used to treat tumors. It has also been shown that nettle removes convulsions and has a good expectorant effect. In the grass contains a large amount of chlorophyll, which helps to normalize the work of female organs and the entire intestine. During the experiments it was proved that nettle normalizes the hemoglobin content in blood and positively affects carbohydrate metabolism.

Long ago, the seeds of nettle prescribed for those women who could not get pregnant. The plant even found use as a remedy for impotence. For this, the seeds are recommended to mix with the banana pulp and daily use the remedy until libido is restored.

Freshly squeezed juice from the seeds and foliage of the nettle helps in the fight against osteomyelitis, and is also used with an increased level of salt content in the joints. Juice is very effective for treating ulcerative wounds in varicose veins, it heals cuts and intertrigo. Diuretic properties of the plant are used for kidney stones and rheumatism. Well helps the nettle oil in the treatment of bruises, arthritis, osteochondrosis and sprain. At home, people often add leaves to the composition of vitamin drinks.

Hazardous properties of plants

No matter how nettles are useful, it is always worth remembering that it causes skin burns, which means that you need to be careful with it. Most people burn quickly, but some may have dangerous allergic reactions.

In addition, not all can benefit from the useful properties of the plant. As a remedy it should not be used:

1. With high coagulation (this can lead to the formation of blood clots).
2. In the case of cardiac or renal insufficiency.
3. With skin allergies and individual intolerance.
4. During pregnancy.
5. With female bleeding.

Instead of an afterword

Healing properties of an amazing plant have found wide application not only in folk medicine, modern cosmetology and dietology, but also in official medicine. On the basis of the nettle, imported preparations "Basoton" and "Prostaforton" were created. The composition of the cholagogue "Allochol" includes extract from the foliage of the plant. In addition, official medicine uses decoctions of grass and stems in the fight against many ailments.