Girardinia diversifolia

Girardinia diversifolia, commonly known as the Himalayan nettle[2] or Nilghiri nettle,[3] is a plant species native to Nepal and in the Himalayan parts of India such as Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir and in vast parts of China.[4] It grows naturally at elevations between 1,200 to 3,000 metres (3,900 to 9,800 feet). It is a shade tolerant, tall, stout and erect herb growing up to 3m height with perennial rootstock. The plant grows as a clump, and each clump has many stems. The stem contains bast fiber of unique quality which is strong, smooth and light.[5]

Girardinia diversifolia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Urticaceae
Genus: Girardinia
Species:
G. diversifolia
Binomial name
Girardinia diversifolia
(Link) Friis
Synonyms[1]
  • Girardinia adoensis (Steud.) Wedd.
  • Girardinia armata Kunth nom. illeg.
  • Girardinia chingianae S.S.Chien
  • Girardinia condensata (Hochst. ex Steud.) Wedd.
  • Girardinia erosa Decne.
  • Girardinia formosana Hayata ex Yamam.
  • Girardinia furialis Blume
  • Girardinia heterophylla (Vahl) Decne.
  • Girardinia hibiscifolia Miq.
  • Girardinia javanica Wedd.
  • Girardinia leschenaultiana Decne.
  • Girardinia longispica Hand.-Mazz.
  • Girardinia palmata Blume nom. illeg.
  • Girardinia vahlii Blume nom. illeg.
  • Girardinia vitifolia Franch. nom. illeg.
  • Girardinia vitifolia Wedd.
  • Girardinia zeylanica Decne.
  • Urtica adoensis Hochst.
  • Urtica adoensis Hochst. ex Steud.
  • Urtica buraei H. Lév.
  • Urtica condensata Hochst. ex Steud.
  • Urtica diversifolia Link
  • Urtica heterophylla Vahl
  • Urtica lobatifolia S.S. Ying
  • Urtica palmata Forssk.

Description

It is a 1.5 to 3 metres tall[6] perennial herbaceous shrub that grows without cultivation all over Nepal.[7] It most frequently occurs in the hilly and mountainous regions at altitudes up to 3000 m.[8]

Vernacular names

The plant is locally known as:

Uses

Traditional users of Allo are ethnic groups from across Nepal, including the Kulung, Gurung, Magar, Rai and Tamang people.[9] Allo products are culturally important to both the Gurung[9] and the Rai.[8] It is also sold for commercial and non-religious purposes.[7] Non-fibre uses of the plant range from fodder and fuel wood,[8] to use as a live fence and in traditional medicines.[9] Allo fibre is very flexible and has high tenacity,[10] allowing it to be used in a multitude of applications ranging from clothing and bags to floor mats and rope.[9][11][12] Fibres made from allo are fully biodegradable.[10]

  • Inflorescence
    Inflorescence
  • Fruits
    Fruits
  • Seedling
    Seedling
  • Seeds
    Seeds

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Girardinia diversifolia.
  1. "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  2. "Girardinia diversifolia". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  3. BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  4. |url=
  5. Assessment of Allo Production and Enterprise Potential in Parbat District
  6. Singh, S.C.; Shrestha, R (1988). "Girardinia diversifolia (Urticaceae), a non-conventional fiber resource in nepal". Economic Botany. 42 (3): 445–447. doi:10.1007/BF02860167. JSTOR 4255095.
  7. Dunsmore, J (1998). "Microenterprise development: Traditional skills and the reduction of poverty in highland nepal". Himalaya, the Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies. 18 (2): 22–27.
  8. Barakoti, T; Shrestha, K (2008). "Commercial utilization of allo (Girardinia diversifolia) by the rais of sankhuwasabha for income generation". Banko Janakari. 18 (1): 18–24. doi:10.3126/banko.v18i1.2162.
  9. Gurung, A; Flanigan, H; Kumar Ghimeray, A; Karki, R; Bista, R; Gurung, O.P. (2012). "Traditional knowledge of processing and use of the himalayan giant nettle (Girardinia diversifolia (Link) Friis) among the Gurungs of Sikles, Nepal". Ethnobotany Research and Applications. 10: 167–174. doi:10.17348/era.10.0.167-174.
  10. Bajpai, P.K.; Meena, D; Vatsa, S; Singh, I (2013). "Tensile behavior of nettle fiber composites exposed to various environments". Journal of Natural Fibers. 10 (3): 244–256. doi:10.1080/15440478.2013.791912.
  11. Shrestha, R (1999). "Improvements on the traditional harvesting practice of girardinia diversifolia". Tropical Agriculture Research and Extension. 2 (1): 74–75.
  12. Dunsmore, J (1998). "Crafts, cash and conservation in highland nepal". Community Development Journal. 33 (1): 49–56. doi:10.1093/cdj/33.1.49.
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