Blue Nettle is an erect shrub up to 1.2 m, with
round to 4-angled,sticky hairy branches. Flowers are dark-blue, about 2
cm across, in lax, glandular-pubescent panicle-like clusters. Bracts
are narrowly lanceshaped-oblong, shorter than calyx, early falling off;
bracteoles narrowly oblong, 4-5 mm long, caducous. Sepals are 5,
unequal, ligulate, 8-12 mm long, glandular hairy, blunt, enlarged and
accrescent in fruit, one much larger than the rest. Flowers 3-4 cm
long, tube cylindrical below, as long as calyx, curved above, within,
limb petals open. Upper leaves are stalkess. Lower stem leaves are
carried on 2.5-8.5 cm long, apically winged hairy stalks. Leaves are
ovate, 8-16 x 4.5-8 cm, hairy on both sides to becoming hairless,
basally heart-shaped or rounded, toothed, long-pointed. Capsule are
narrowly elliptic-oblong, 1.5-1.7 cm long, glandular-pubescent to
glabrescent, 4-seeded. Seeds ovate, c. 3 mm long, hairy.
Blue Nettle is found in the Himalayas, from Afghanistan to Nepal, at
altitudes of 2000-3500 m.
Flowering: June-October.
Identification credit: John Wood
Photographed on Govindghat-Ghangria route, Uttarakhand.
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The flower labeled Blue Nettle is ...