瘤冠麻 liu guan ma

Urtica moluccana Blume, Bijdr. Fl. Ned. Ind. 492. 1826.

Shrubs, tall, monoecious. Branches and petioles densely, appressed, gray pubescent. Stipules narrowly lanceolate to linear, 1-2 cm; petiole 2-18.5 cm; leaf blade broadly ovate, 10-27 × 6.5-20 cm, thick papery, 3-veined, lateral veins 4-6 pairs, adaxial surface bullate-rugose, sparsely strigose, abaxial surface densely appressed strigose, base obliquely rounded or slightly cordate, margin serrulate or crenulate, apex acute to acuminate. Glomerules on previous year’s or older branches, semiglobose. Male perianth lobes obovate, apex acute. Female perianth tube obovoid, apex 4-toothed. Achene oblong-obovoid, slightly symmetric, ca. 1.5 mm. Fl. Apr-Jun, fr. Jul-Sep.

Thickets, moist places in forests in valleys; below 200 m. Taiwan (Hualian, Lan Yu) [Indonesia, Philippines; Pacific Islands (Hawaii, Micronesia)].

The fibers are frequently used to make ropes and coarse cloth.