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Radix Urticae *
Definition
Radix Urticae consists of the dried roots and rhizomes of Urtica dioica L.,
U. urens L. (Urticaceae), their hybrids or mixtures thereof (1, 2).
Synonyms
Urtica dioica L.
Urtica gracilis Ait., U. major Kanitz., U. urens maxima Blackw. (3, 4).
Urtica urens L.
Urtica minor Fuchs, U. minor Moench., U. urens minima Dod. (3, 4).
Selected vernacular names
Urtica dioica L.
Brennesselwurzel, common nettle, csalángyökér, gazaneh, grande ortie,
greater nettle, grosse Brennessel, Haarnesselwurzel, Hanfnesselwurzel,
hhurrayq, Nesselwurzel, nettle root, ortica, ortie, ortiga, pokrzywa, qurrays,
racine d’ortie, raiz de ortiga, stinging nettle, tsuknida, zwyczajna (4–6).
Urtica urens L.
Dwarf nettle, Eiternessel, kleine Brennessel, lesser nettle, ortica minore,
ortica piccola, ortie brulante, petite ortie, sha’reláguz, small nettle (4, 6–9).
Geographical distribution
Urtica dioica is indigenous to Africa and western Asia, but is now found
in all temperate regions of the world in Africa, North and South America,
Asia, Australia and Europe (3, 4, 6, 7, 10).
Owing to the difficulty in botanical differentiation between Urtica
dioica and U. urens in the wild, they are often harvested together. Although
both species have a similar distribution, U. urens has become less
widely distributed due to the reduction of its habitat (3).
*
Adopted from the volume 2 of WHO monographs on selected medicinal plants.
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