Urtica dioica L. + Urtica gracilis Ait. ssp. gracilis

Locations ofUrtica dioica L. + Urtica gracilis Ait. ssp. gracilis in Virginia

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Detail

Family
Urticaceae
Botanical Name
Urtica dioica L. + Urtica gracilis Ait. ssp. gracilis
Common Name
Stinging Nettle
Synonym(s)
Flora of Virginia Name/Status
Urtica dioica L. + Urtica gracilis Ait.
Comments
The map is a composite containing all records for both Urtica dioica and Urtica gracilis ssp. gracilis, which were lumped in earlier editions of the Atlas. Only partial maps of the two species are now available; extensive herbarium work will be necessary to complete them.
Habitat
Both species favor well-drained floodplain forests, but also occur in alluvial clearings, low fields, roadsides, and disturbed, mesic upland forests. Together, they are locally frequent or common in the mountains and Piedmont, and rare in the Coastal Plain. Their relative distributions have not been definitively worked out, but Urtica dioica appears to be most common in the northern third of the state, particularly the Potomac and Shenandoah River drainages, where it is abundant; U. gracilis ssp. gracilis appears to be widelly distributed in the mountains and Piedmont but less numerous than its larger and more aggressive congener.
Native Status
Not Specified

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