Stinging nettle (Urtica urens); small nettle, stinging nettle; family of nettles (Urticaceae); stinging nettle
Unlike the dioecious nettle, stinging nettle is an annual, it is shorter in height and has an angrier temper than its predecessor. The whole plant is covered with pitiful hairs. The stem is upright, four-sided, 15-60 cm tall. The leaves are whole, opposite, elliptic-ovate, sharp-toothed at the edges, 4-5 cm long. The flowers are light green, small, collected in axillary panicles, blooming in May-June. The fruit is an achene. It occurs in wet places, near water bodies, in wet forests, gardens, among bushes, near houses. It grows everywhere in Ukraine in similar places.
For medicinal purposes, nettle leaves are prepared, which are collected during flowering. Raw materials are dried in the shade, quickly, in order to preserve as much active substances as possible. The storage period is 2 years. The plant is used only in folk medicine. The chemical composition of stinging nettle leaves is similar to that of dicotyledonous nettle.
Traditional healers use the plant along with nettle, many of them believe that it is more effective in the treatment of certain diseases, for example, allergies, nervous disorders and some skin diseases.
Stinging nettle is used for food: salads, seasonings for meat dishes are prepared from young leaves, mixed with sorrel and added to soups and vegetable soups.
The recipe for making infusions and decoctions of stinging nettle leaves, as well as their dosage, contraindications for use are the same as for stinging nettle.