Urtica massaica Mildbr.

Erect perennial dioecious herb up to 2 m. tall, with little-branched ± quadrangular stems, forming loose clumps from a creeping rhizome; all parts of plant with fiercely stinging hairs 1.5–2 mm. long, raised on protuberances ± 1 mm. high, otherwise glabrous to puberulous.. Leaves: stipules fused, interpetiolar, (0.8–)l–2 cm. long, 0.4–1 cm. wide, with rounded apex and broadly cuneate to cordate base, chartaceous, brown; petioles 1.5–4.5 cm. long; lamina ovate, 7–13 cm. long, 6–10.5 cm. wide, base cordate, margin serrate or usually double serrate, with numerous teeth on each side, apex acute to shortly acuminate; lateral nerves 6–9 pairs, lower 2–3 pairs running into subcordate leaf-base, all pairs extending to leaf-margin and linked by a fine net of anastomosing nerves; upper surface with stinging hairs and sometimes also a fine pubescence, cystoliths very numerous, punctiform, lower surface with stinging hairs along the nerves.. Inflorescences paired in the axils of the upper leaves, spike-like, 2.5–4.5 cm. long, with the flowers in small, densely cymose, bracted glomerules, sometimes the inflorescence with a few side-branches near the base.. Male flowers on pedicels 0.8–1.5 mm. long; perianth ± 1 mm. in diameter, puberulous to pubescent, occasionally with a few stinging hairs, depressed globose in bud.. Female flowers sessile; perianth ± 1 mm. long, pubescent, with numerous stinging hairs on the large pair of tepals.. Achene flattened, ovoid, ± 1 mm. long, 0.8 mm. wide, white, long enclosed in the persistent perianth but dispersed without it.. Fig. 1.

Grows 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.

The young leaves are wilted, boiled and eaten as a vegetable.

Plants can be grown from seed or sections of rhizomes. Old plants can be cut back to stimulate new leaves.