Japanese name: アオカラムシ（青茎蒸） Scientific name:Boehmeria nivea var. concolor
[Overview]
A perennial 1–1.5 m tall, found near human dwellings.
The stem is densely covered with short, upward-pointing, pressed hairs.
Leaves are simple and alternate, broadly ovate with a tail-like pointed tip, and the margin has regular, low teeth.
The underside of the leaf is hairless and pale green.
The upper surface of the leaf and the petiole are also almost hairless.
There are male flowers and female flowers.
Male inflorescences arise from the leaf axils in the lower part of the stem and female inflorescences from those in the upper part, both being conical.
The fruit is an achene.
[Uses]
It has long been cultivated for the fiber from the stem bark, which is used for weaving.
The root is used medicinally.
