Urtica himalayensis Kunth & C.D.Boché (1846: 11)

Becker, Karin, Grosse-Veldmann, Bernadette & Weigend, Maximilian, 2017, Weeding the nettles VI: Taxonomic and phylogenetic studies of the Southeast Asian Urtica fissa-clade (Urticaceae), Phytotaxa 323 (3), pp. 217-236 : 227-229

3. Urtica himalayensis Kunth & C.D.Boché (1846: 11) . Fig. 5

Type:—Himalaya, Oct. 1844, A. Braun 13 (holotype B! (B100088731)).

= Urtica mairei Lévl. var. oblongifolia C.J. Chen (1983: 122) . Type:—[ CHINA] Yunnan: Gingtung: Ban-ma, 2200 m, on ditch side, 17 Jan. 1940, M.K. Li 2985 (holotype Y, isotype PE! (PE_00565202)). Paratypes:— CHINA. Guangxi: 13 Jan. / 3 Jun. 1940, M.K. Li 2782 (KUN! (KUN_0523743), KUN! (KUN_0523742)).

= Urtica zayuensis C.J. Chen (1983: 123) . Type:— TIBET. Chayu, evergreen forest, 1500 m, 7.7.1980, Z. Ni, Y. Wang, Ciduo, Cidan 0494 (holotype PE! (PE-00509715)).

Erect, perennial herb ca. 1.5 m, form perennial root and with pleiokorm of perennating underground stems; stem indumentum of stinging hairs with pluricellular base 1.0–2.0 mm long overall, setae 0.8–1.5 mm, and with simple trichomes 0.1–0.2 mm long; leaf lamina suborbicular to ovate-lanceolate, 5–150 (–230) × 35–100 (–160) mm, leaf margin with two orders of serration, 30–55 (–70) majorpointed teeth on each side, 1–2 mm long, each major tooth with 0–3 minor teeth 0.5–1 mm long, leaf base subcordate to rounded, leaf apex apiculate; leaf indumentum of stinging hairs with pluricellular base 1.4–1.8 mm long overall, setae 1.0– 1.6 mm, and with simple trichomes 0.1–0.5 mm long; leaf surface with punctiform cystoliths; petioles 10–60 (–150) mm long; 4 stipules, forming 2 fused pairs per node, 5–15 mm long, elongated to rounded in the upper part of the plant; plant monoecious, usually staminate flowers proximal, carpellate flowers distal; staminate flowers with all tepals ca. 1.0 mm long, pubescent; pistillate flowers with tepals ca. 0.2 mm long, pubescent; infructescence 40–80 mm; mature fruits with longer tepals ca. 1.5 mm long, achenes suborbicular in outline, laterally flattened, ca. 1.5 × 1.0 mm.

Note:— The type specimen for this species is from cultivation in Berlin Botanical Garden, it is unknown where the seed was obtained from. Urtica mairei var. oblongifolia is here synonymized with U. himalayensis since the isotype seen (M.K. Li 2985) clearly corresponds to this species. However, the paratype (M.K. Li 2782) has to be referred to U. mairei , indicating a certain degree of confusion in the description of this taxon. The presence of U. himalayensis on Sumatra is somewhat surprising, since its distribution is otherwise exclusively Himalayan. Clearly, more and better material from Indonesia would be highly desirable.As now defined, the species ranges down to Sumatra and is replaced by U. grandidentata on Java. The latter differs by clearly lobed and much larger, suborbicular leaves.

Distribution and Habitat: — U. himalayensis is widespread in the Himalayas and is reported from Yunnan ( China), India (Sikkim, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh), Nepal and Tibet and with one additional specimen collected in Indonesia, from the highest peak of Sumatra. U. himalayensis is commonly found on roadsides, near streams, in the understory of forests growing in rich and moist soil, and is usually found at intermediate elevations.

Phenology:— U. himalayensis flowers throughout the year.

Conservation status: —Using IUCN criteria ( IUCN 2016), Urtica himalayensis Kunth & C.D.Boché is considered “Least Concern” (LC).

Representative specimens:— CHINA. Yunnan: Feng chen, 2133 m, A. Henry 11197 (K_000229275!); Gingtung: Ban-ma, 2200 m, on ditch side, 17 Jan. 1940, M.K. Li 2985 (PE_00565202!); Gongshan, Dulong River, Ba Slope, shrubland in a valley, 1300 m, 18 Nov. 1990, Dulong River Expedition Team 512 (KUN_523797! & KUN_523798!); Gongshan, Dulong River, Meiqiewang, shrubland in a valley, 1620 m, 10 Jan. 1991, Dulong River Expedition Team 1804 (KUN_523794! & KUN_523795!); Gongshan, Dulong River, secondary shrubland, 1500 m, 20 Dec. 1990, Dulong River Expedition Team 1260 (KUN_523796! & PE_00509719!); Gongshan, Dulong River, secondary shrubland, 2000 m, 26 Mar. 1991, Dulong River Expedition Team 5208 (KUN_523793! & PE_00509718!); Dulongjiang, Moquiwang Cun, ca 3.6 direkt km NW of Moquiwang in the vicinity of the bridge across the Moquiqang river on the road from Gonshang to Kongdang, W side of Gaoligong Shan, 2240 m, S facing 10–30° slope, 27° 54’38’’ N, 98° 24’ 39.8’’ E, subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest dominated by Lithocarpus and Pinus bhutanensis , disturbed by clearing, 09 Jan. 2006, Gaoligong Shan Biodiversity Survey 34461 (HUH_00285255!); Guangxi, Naop, shrubland in a valley, 1100 m, 09 Dec. 1958, Z. Zhang 13088 (IBK_00130578!); Lushui, Yaojiaping, forest farm, roadside of theropencedrymion [forest type], 2300 m, 02 Aug. 1981, Hengduan Mountain Team, Institute of Botany, The Academy of Science 379 (PE_00509713!); A. Henry 11197 (MO_3535025!);— INDIA. Himachal Pradesh: Lahol [Lahaul], Kardong to Dartse in the Bhaga valley, 15 to 18 Jun. 1856, Schlagintweit 2767 (PR!); Simla, 2133 m, 01 Sep. 1880, Collett 590 (K_000229276!); Simla, Himalaya occ. 10 Oct. 1888, Harmand s.n. (P_06750057! & P_06750058!);

Punjab: Bhogarmanly , 1524 m, Barrett 21997 (K_000229287!) ; Sikkim: no locality data, 1524 m, J.D. Hooker & Thompson 1855 (P_06855893!) ; 1828–2438 m, J.D. Hooker & Thompson s.n. (P_06855895!); 1828–2438 m, J.D. Hooker & Thompson s.n. (P_06855896! & P_06855895!); 2133 m, J.D. Hooker & Thompson s.n. (L_1629647!); India , no province, Jacquemont 1247 (P_06855898!) ; no collector, s.n. (P_06855900!);— INDONESIA. Sumatra: Kerinchi , Sep. 1915, Jacobson 2503 (L_1629137!) ;— NEPAL. Janakpur: Ramechhap, Choarma (2750 m)– Kyama (2600 m), 03 Aug. 1985, H. Ohba, T. Kikuchi, M. Wakabayashi, M. Suzuki, N. Kurosaki, K.R. Rajbhandari & S.K. Wu 8571187 (E_00148746!) ;— TIBET. Chayu: evergreen forest, 1500 m, 07 Jul. 1980, Z. Ni, Y. Wang, Ciduo, Cidan 0494 (PE_00509715!) ; hillside, grassland, 2400 m, 25 Jun. 1980, Z. Ni, Y. Wang, Ciduo, Cidan 0185 (PE_ 00509714!); Shangzay , humid valley, evergreen forest, 2200 m, 11 Jul. 1996, Collector unknown (PE_00509716! & PE_00509717!) ;— Unidentified localities: Himalayas , Oct. 1844, Kunth s.n. (B_100088731!) ; Kashmir [India, Pakistan or China]. 2133 m, J.D. Hooker & Thompson s.n. (P_06855897!) .

Figures

FIGURE 5. Urtica himalayensis (all Gaoligong Shan Biodiversity Survey 34461): A. Habit, B. Node with fused stipules, C. Female inflorescences, D. Typical leaf, E. Infructescence and male flowers. Scale bar: A = 5 cm; B–E = 1 cm.