Edible: Root, Leaves, Seeds - oil, Flowers, Stem
An erect shrub which grows from year to year. It is 1-3 m tall. The underground roots are thick storage roots. The leaves occur one after another along opposite sides of the stem. The leaves have long leaf stalks and are oval but broad. They have teeth along the edge. They are 7.5-15 cm long by 5-10 cm wide. The leaves are white underneath. The more tropical form does not have hairs under the leaf. The flowers are small. They occur in the axils of leaves. The flowers have separate sexes. The male flowers are lower down and the female flowers higher up. The fruit is a small dry one seeded fruit. It is brownish-yellow and about 1 mm long. Flowers are wind pollinated.
A tropical and subtropical plant. The plant grows best in warm moist climates. It needs rich well drained soil. It can grow in part shade. It grows on the edges of forests between 200-1,700 m above sea level. Melbourne Botanical gardens. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Common Names: Ban, Bela kopriva, China Grass, Gon, Kankura, Kya-sha, Lashen, Rami, Rhea
Synonyms:
Boehmeria tenacissima Gaudich.