Canadian woodnettle

(Laportea canadensis)

Conservation Status
Canadian woodnettle
 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

FAC - Facultative

     
  Midwest

FACW - Facultative wetland

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FACW - Facultative wetland

     
           
 
Description
 
 

Canadian woodnettle is a 16 to 40 tall, erect, annual or perennial forb that rises from a rhizome and tuberous roots. It often forms dense colonies.

The stems are erect, light green or medium green, zigzagged, and unbranched. They are sparsely or densely covered with stinging hairs and non-glandular, non-stinging hairs, but they have no glandular hairs.

The leaves are alternate, broadly egg-shaped, 3 to 6 long, and 1 to 4 wide. They are on leaf stalks that are up to 4 long and covered with stinging and non-stinging hairs. They taper to a point at the tip with concave sides along the tip. They are rounded, squared off, or broadly wedge-shaped at the base, but do not have ear-like lobes at the base. The margins have sharp, forward-pointing teeth. The upper surface is medium to dark green, the lower surface is a little lighter in color. Young leaves appear wrinkled and are densely covered with both stinging and non-stinging hairs. As they age they become less wrinkled and less hairy.

Both male and female flowers are found on the same plant. The female inflorescences are elongated, loose, branched clusters at the end of the stem and rising from the upper leaf axils. They are widely spreading and up to 4 long, usually much longer than the subtending leaf stalks. The male inflorescences are elongated, branched clusters rising from the middle leaf axils. They spread outward from the stem and are seldom longer than the subtending leaf stalks.

The male flowers are 1 32 to 1 16 across, with 5 narrow, greenish-white to white sepals, no petals, and 5 stamens. The female flowers are 1 32 to 1 16 across, with 2 large, green, appressed, inner sepals, 2 much smaller, green, appressed, outer sepals, no petals, and a long, feathery, D-shaped style.

The fruit is an egg-shaped achene, 1 16 to 3 32 in diameter.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

16 to 40

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

Green

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis) leaves are opposite, narrower, and drooping.

Small-spike false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica) has no stinging hairs. The leaves are opposite.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Moderate moisture. Woods, forests.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

July to August

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 28, 29, 30.

 
  3/22/2023      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants)  
  Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)  
  Superorder Rosanae  
 

Order

Rosales (roses, elms, figs, and allies)  
 

Family

Urticaceae (nettle)  
 

Genus

Laportea (wood nettles)  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

 

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Fleurya canadensis

Laportea divaricata

Laportea pustulata

Urtica canadensis

Urtica divaricata

Urtica pustulata

Urticastrum divaricatum

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

Canada lettuce

Canada woodnettle

Canadian wood-nettle

Canadian woodnettle

wood nettle

wood-nettle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Achene

A dry, one-chambered, single-seeded fruit, formed from a single carpel, with the seed attached to the membranous outer layer (wall) only by the seed stalk; the wall, formed entirely from the wall of the superior ovary, does not split open at maturity, but relies on decay or predation to release the contents.

 

Axil

The upper angle where the leaf stalk meets the stem.

 

Glandular hairs

Hairs spread over aerial vegetation that secrete essential oils. The oils act to protect against herbivores and pathogens or, when on a flower part, attract pollinators. The hairs have a sticky or oily feel.

 

Rhizome

A horizontal, usually underground stem. It serves as a reproductive structure, producing roots below and shoots above at the nodes.

 

Sepal

An outer floral leaf, usually green but sometimes colored, at the base of a flower.

 
 
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Habitat

 
    Canadian woodnettle      
           
 

Colony

 
    Canadian woodnettle      
           
 

Plant

 
    Canadian woodnettle   Canadian woodnettle  
           
    Canadian woodnettle   Canadian woodnettle  
           
 

Inflorescence

 
    Canadian woodnettle   Canadian woodnettle  
           
 

Male Flowers

 
    Canadian woodnettle      
           
 

Female Flowers

 
    Canadian woodnettle   Canadian woodnettle  
           
    Canadian woodnettle   Canadian woodnettle  
           
 

Leaves

 
    Canadian woodnettle   Canadian woodnettle  
           
    Canadian woodnettle      
           
 

Stem

 
    Canadian woodnettle      

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
 
     
     

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

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Other Videos
 
  Wild Edibles series- Wood Nettle 1.wmv
White Wolf Von Atzingen
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Jun 11, 2010

More in my wild edibles series. I was asked by many about the wood nettle and so decided to make a short edibility clip on it. Enjoy!

Use caution when trying new foods. Some people are allergic. Be aware, these videos are for informational purposes only. Ways Of The Wild Institute claims no responsibility for the misuse of this information.

   

 

Camcorder

 
 
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