Urtica laetevirens Maxim.

Dmitry Geltman (pers. comm.) believes that Urtica silvatica should be treated as a separate species and not as a synonym of U. laetevirens. The former species has connate stipules, whereas the latter species always has free stipules.

Herbs perennial, monoecious, rarely dioecious. Rhizomes woody. Stems simple or few branched, 30-100 cm tall, subglabrous or sparsely hirtellous and with sparsely stinging hairs, particularly on nodes. Stipules free (sometimes partly connate with 2-lobed apex on upper parts of plant), lanceolate or oblong, 3-8 mm, puberulent; petiole slender, 1.5-7 cm, with sparse stinging and hirtellous hairs; leaf blade ovate, cordate or lanceolate, often gradually narrow distally, 4-10 × 2-6 cm, often membranous, 3-veined, lateral basal veins arcuate, reaching distal margin and anastomosing, secondary veins 2 or 3 on each side, both surfaces with sparse stinging and hirtellous hairs, base broadly cuneate, rounded, or cordate, margin dentate or serrate, apex short acuminate to caudate-acuminate; cystoliths often botuliform, sometimes punctiform. Inflorescences unisexual; male inflorescences in distal axils, spicate, to 8 cm; female ones in proximal axils, subspicate, slender, sometimes glomerules interruped along axis. Male flowers sessile or short pedicellate, in bud ca. 1 mm; perianth lobes connate 1/2 of length, puberulent. Female flowers: perianth lobes connate at base, dorsal-ventral lobes elliptic-ovate, ca. 1 mm, sparsely or densely setulose, lateral lobes narrowly ovate, 3-5 times as short as dorsal ones Achene gray-brown, ovoid or narrowly ovoid, slightly compressed, ca. 1 mm, inconspicuously verrucose or smooth, invested by persistent perianth lobes. Fl. Jun-Aug, fr. Aug-Oct.

Anhui, Gansu, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, E Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, SE Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, SE Xizang, Yunnan [Japan, Korea, Russia (Far East)].

Moist places in forests, thickets, along streams, river banks; 100-3500 m.