50-791: Simien Mountains National Park is the largest national park in Ethiopia . Located in the North Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region , its territory covers the highest parts of the Simien Mountains and includes Ras Dashan , the highest point in Ethiopia. It is home to a number of endangered species, including the Ethiopian wolf and the walia ibex , a wild goat found nowhere else in the world. The gelada baboon and
100-598: A bast fibre that has been traditionally used for the same purposes as linen and is produced by a similar retting process. Unlike cotton , nettles grow easily without pesticides . The fibres are coarser, however. Historically, nettles have been used to make clothing for almost 3,000 years, as ancient nettle textiles from the Bronze Age have been found in Denmark. It is widely believed that German Army uniforms were almost all made from nettle during World War I due to
150-478: A folk remedy for treating rheumatism . A study undertaken in 2000 showed that nettles were an effective therapy in relieving the pain of arthritis . In indigenous justice systems in Ecuador , urtication was used as punishment for severe crimes in 2010. The sentenced perpetrator of a crime was flogged with stinging nettle, in public, naked, whilst being showered with freezing cold water. Nettle stems contain
200-537: A folk remedy to counteract the sting of a nettle, although there is no evidence of any chemical effect. It may be that the act of rubbing a dock leaf against a nettle sting acts as a distracting counterstimulation , or that belief in the dock's effect provides a placebo effect . U. dioica has a flavour similar to spinach when cooked. Young plants are harvested by many Native American communities and are cooked and eaten in spring when other food plants are scarce. Soaking stinging nettles in water or cooking removes
250-434: A nettle or stinger , is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the family Urticaceae . Originally native to Europe, much of temperate Asia and western North Africa, it is now found worldwide. The species is divided into six subspecies , five of which have many hollow stinging hairs called trichomes on the leaves and stems, which act like hypodermic needles , injecting histamine and other chemicals that produce
300-640: A distinct species while the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS database continues to list it as U. dioica subsp. gracilis , as does the Flora of North America . As of 2023 POWO recognizes 11 subspecies or varieties of U. dioica : Urtica is derived from a Latin word meaning 'sting'. Dioica (δίοικος) is derived from Greek , meaning 'of two houses' (having separate staminate and pistillate plants; dioecious ). U. dioica
350-478: A filling for hortopita, which is similar to spanakopita , but with wild greens rather than spinach for filling. Young nettles can also be used to make an alcoholic drink . In the United Kingdom, an annual World Nettle Eating Championship draws thousands of people to Dorset , where competitors attempt to eat as much of the raw plant as possible. Competitors are given 60 cm (24 in) stalks of
400-542: A flavouring in varieties of Gouda. Nettles are used in Albania , Montenegro , Serbia , North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina as part of the dough filling for the börek pastry. The top baby leaves are selected and simmered, and then mixed with other ingredients such as herbs and rice, before being used as a filling between dough layers. Similarly, in Greece the tender leaves are often used, after simmering, as
450-401: A home to 400 species of bird species that thrived throughout the mountainous ecoregion, which includes Abyssinian Woodpecker , bearded vulture , Tawny eagle , Rüppell's vulture , Verreaux's eagle , Black-winged Lovebird , Ethiopian Black-headed Oriole , Eurasian kestrel , lanner falcon , augur buzzard and thick-billed raven . Simien Mountains National Park was established in 1969 and
500-849: A moss (mosses, Grimmiaceae ). Lichen covers the trees of the alpine area. Vegetation throughout the park is divided into three sections, Montane forest (1900-3000m), Ericaceous Belt or SubAfroalpine (2700-3700m) and the Afroalpine (3700-5433m). Within the Montane forest there are Juniper trees ( Juniperous procera ), African redwood ( Hagenia abyssinica), African olive ( Olea africana), fig ( Ficus spp), and waterberry ( Syzygium guineense). There are also many varieties of shrubs including cocona ( Solanum sessilistellatum ), Abyssinian rose ( Rosa abyssinica), cowslip ( Primula verticillata ), and stinging nettle ( Urtica ). The ridges and canyons have scattered meadows, forests and bushes. At one time,
550-528: A predicament. In French, the idiom faut pas pousser mémé dans les orties (do not push granny into the nettles) means that we should be careful not to abuse a situation. The name urticaria for hives comes from the Latin name of nettle ( Urtica , from urere, to burn). The English word 'nettled', meaning irritated or angry, is derived from 'nettle'. There is a common idea in Great Britain that
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#1732765326426600-482: A shortage of cotton, although there is little evidence to support this. More recently, companies in Austria, Germany, and Italy have started to produce commercial nettle textiles. The fibre content in nettle shows a high variability and reaches from below 1% to 17%. Under middle-European conditions, stems yield typically between 45 and 55 dt / ha (decitons per hectare), which is comparable to flax stem yield. Due to
650-502: A stinging sensation upon contact ("contact urticaria", a form of contact dermatitis ). The plant has a long history of use as a source for traditional medicine , food, tea, and textile raw material in ancient (such as Saxon ) and modern societies. Urtica dioica is a dioecious , herbaceous , perennial plant , 3 to 7 feet (0.9 to 2 metres) tall in the summer and dying down to the ground in winter. It has widely spreading rhizomes and stolons , which are bright yellow, as are
700-619: A variety of systematic names for these plants. Until 2014 there was broad consensus that the nettles native to the Americas, now classified as Urtica gracilis , were subspecies of U. dioica . However, in that year the paper "Weeding the Nettles II" was published in the journal Phytotaxa demonstrating the genetic distinctness of New World nettles. As of 2023 Plants of the World Online (POWO) recognizes U. gracilis as
750-432: Is also eaten by the larvae of some moths including angle shades , buff ermine , dot moth , the flame , the gothic , grey chi , grey pug , lesser broad-bordered yellow underwing , mouse moth , setaceous Hebrew character , and small angle shades . The roots are sometimes eaten by the larva of the ghost moth ( Hepialus humuli ). It is a known host to the pathogenic fungus Phoma herbarum . Stinging nettle
800-548: Is as effective as the synthetic pigments to colour the egg yolk. Feeding nettle has no detrimental effect on the performance of the laying hens or on the general quality of eggs. Ruminants avoid fresh stinging nettles; however, if the nettles are wilted or dry, voluntary intake can be high. In the European Union , nettle extract can be used as an insecticide , fungicide , and acaricide under Basic Substance regulations. As an insecticide, nettle extract can be used for
850-587: Is conserved by the Mayshasha River , which runs through the two rainy days and the national park from north to south. As a result, national parks are abundant with wildlife and plants. The vegetation is mixed with African alpine forests, wilderness forests and alpine vegetation. High altitude areas include montane savannah and tree heath ( Erica arborea ), giant lobelia ( Lobelia rhynchopetalum ), yellow primrose ( Primula verticillata ), everlastings ( Helichrysum spp.), A lady's mantle (alchemilla), and
900-479: Is considered to be native to Europe, much of temperate Asia and western North Africa . It is abundant in northern Europe and much of Asia, usually found in the countryside. It is less widespread in southern Europe and north Africa, where it is restricted by its need for moist soil, but is still common. It has been introduced to many other parts of the world. In North America, it is widely distributed in Canada and
950-470: Is necessary to prepare, implement, review and monitor the management plan, to revise and expand the boundary of the park, and to participate fully in the local residents. Local cooperation is particularly important to prevent sustainable use of national park resources and to develop sustainable livelihoods . Adequate financial support for resettlement of inhabitants in the heritage area and the introduction of effective livestock management are essential to reduce
1000-453: Is one of the nine plants invoked in the pagan Anglo-Saxon Nine Herbs Charm , recorded in 10th-century traditional medicine . Nettle was believed to be a galactagogue – a substance that promotes lactation . Urtication, or flogging with nettles, is the process of deliberately applying stinging nettles to the skin to provoke inflammation . An agent thus used was considered to be a rubefacient (something that causes redness), used as
1050-931: Is particularly found as an understory plant in wetter environments, but it is also found in meadows. Although nutritious, it is not widely eaten by either wildlife or livestock, presumably because of the sting. It spreads by abundant seeds and also by rhizomes, and is often able to survive and re-establish quickly after fire. Three cultivation techniques can be used for the stinging nettle: 1) direct sowing, 2) growing seedlings in nurseries with subsequent transplantation and 3) vegetative propagation via stolons or head cuttings. The stinging nettle can also be grown in controlled-environment agriculture systems, such as soil-less medium cultivations or aeroponics , which may achieve higher yields, standardize quality, and reduce harvesting costs and contamination. Urtica dioica produces its inflammatory effect on skin (a stinging, burning sensation often called "contact urticaria") both by impaling
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#17327653264261100-499: Is protected under the National Reserve Act. The management of national parks effectively protects the representative species of parks and works closely with local residents to reduce the pressure on park resources by expanding arable land, overfishing livestock , and overcapacity of natural resources. Sufficient financial support is needed for park management and livelihood alternative development of local residents. It
1150-490: The Paleogene period roughly 30 million years ago. The massif itself is the remnant of a large shield volcano . Over millions of years due to the heavy erosion of the Ethiopian plateau serrated mountain peaks, deep valleys and 1,500 metre high sheer cliffs have been created, creating some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. The Simien area is rich in perforated basalt, and serves as an ideal catchment basin. Water
1200-484: The caracal , a cat, also occur within the Simien Mountains. More than 50 species of birds inhabit the park, including the bearded vulture , or lammergeier, with its 3-metre (10 ft) wingspan. The park is crossed by an unpaved road which runs from Debarq , where the administrative headquarters of the park is located, east through a number of villages to the 4,430 metres (14,530 ft) Buahit Pass, where
1250-573: The fermentation process . In its peak season, nettle contains up to 25% protein, dry weight, which is high for a leafy green vegetable. The leaves are also dried and may then be used to make a herbal tea , as can also be done with the nettle's flowers. Nettles can be used in a variety of recipes, such as polenta , pesto , and purée . Nettle soup is a common use of the plant, particularly in Northern and Eastern Europe . Nettles are sometimes used in cheesemaking, such as for Cornish Yarg and as
1300-503: The idiom sich in die Nesseln setzen , or to sit in nettles, means to get into trouble. In Germanic mythology , the God of thunder, Thor , was associated with nettles, and that's where the saying "lightning won't strike into nettles" comes from. The idiom is used in Croatian , Hungarian , Serbian , and many other Indo-European languages . In Dutch , a netelige situatie means
1350-516: The Paycock , one of the characters quotes Aesop "Gently touch a nettle and it'll sting you for your pains/Grasp it as a lad of mettle and soft as silk remains". The metaphor may refer to the fact that if a nettle plant is grasped firmly rather than brushed against, it does not sting so readily, because the hairs are crushed down flat and do not penetrate the skin so easily. In the German language ,
1400-509: The St. John's wort ( Hypericum spp.) Forests grew from 3,000 m to 3,800 m above sea level, but now it is almost gone. The exact number is not known. The park is populated with a total of 21 large mammal species live within the park boundaries such as gelada baboon ( Theropithecus gelada ), Ethiopian wolf (also called Simen fox, Canis simensis ), Walia ibex ( Capra walie ), and Menelik's bushbuck ( Tragelaphus scriptus meneliki ). Inhabits on
1450-583: The United States, where it is found in every province and state except for Hawaii , and also can be found in northernmost Mexico . It grows in abundance in the Pacific Northwest , especially in places where annual rainfall is high. The European subspecies has been introduced into Australia, North America and South America . In Europe, nettles have a strong association with human habitation and buildings. The presence of nettles may indicate
1500-536: The annual nettle Urtica urens are the only common stinging plants and have found a place in several figures of speech in the English language . Shakespeare 's Hotspur urges that "out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety" ( Henry IV, Part 1 , Act II Scene 3). The figure of speech "to grasp the nettle" probably originated from Aesop 's fable "The Boy and the Nettle". In Seán O'Casey 's Juno and
1550-693: The batch and the leaf and stem content, nettle contains only traces of zeaxanthin or between 20–60 mg/kg of dry matter. Nettle contains ascorbic acid ( vitamin C ), riboflavin ( vitamin B 2 ), pantothenic acid , vitamin K 1 and tocopherols ( vitamin E ). The highest vitamin contents can be found in the leaves. In laying hens, nettle can be used as an egg yolk colourant instead of artificial pigments or other natural pigments (derived from marigold for yellow). Nettle has high carotenoid contents, especially lutein , β-carotene and zeaxanthin , of which lutein and zeaxanthin act as yellow pigments. Feeding as little as 6.25 g dry nettle per kg feed
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1600-500: The control of codling moth , diamondback moth , and spider mites . As a fungicide, it can be used for the control of Pythium root rot, powdery mildew , early blight , late blight , Septoria blight, Alternaria leaf spot, and grey mould . Nettles have a number of uses in the vegetable garden, including the potential for encouraging beneficial insects. Since nettles prefer to grow in phosphorus-rich and nitrogen rich soils that have recently been disturbed (and thus aerated),
1650-522: The few plants that can tolerate, and flourish in, soils rich in poultry droppings. The stinging nettle is the red admiral caterpillar's primary host plant and can attract migrating red admiral butterflies to a garden. U. dioica can be a troubling weed, and mowing can increase plant density. Regular and persistent tilling will greatly reduce its numbers, and the use of herbicides such as 2,4-D and glyphosate are effective control measures. In Great Britain and Ireland , U. dioica and
1700-509: The gentle slope of the highland valley but later expanded to a steep slope. The national park was one of the first sites to be made a World Heritage Site by UNESCO , inscribed in 1978 because of its outstanding biodiversity and spectacular landscape. Due to serious population declines of some of its characteristic native species, in 1996 it was added to the List of World Heritage in Danger . With
1750-424: The growth of nettles is an indicator that an area has high fertility (especially phosphate and nitrate ), and thus is an indicator to gardeners as to the quality of the soil. Nettles contain nitrogenous compounds, so are used as a compost activator or can be used to make a liquid fertilizer , which although low in phosphate, is useful in supplying magnesium , sulphur , and iron . They are also one of
1800-472: The hair into a needle that can inject several chemicals causing a painful sting or paresthesia , giving the species its common names: stinging nettle, burn-nettle, burn-weed, or burn-hazel. Credit for the scientific naming of Urtica dioica is given to Carl Linnaeus who published it in Species Plantarum in 1753. The taxonomy of Urtica species is confused, and sources are likely to use
1850-421: The leaves. Fresh leaves contain approximately 82.4% water, 17.6% dry matter, 5.5% protein, 0.7 to 3.3% fat, and 7.1% carbohydrates. Mature leaves contain about 40% α - linolenic acid , a valuable omega-3 acid. For exact fatty acid contents see Table 1. Seeds contain much more fatty acid than leaves. Minerals (Ca, K, Mg, P, Si, S, Cl) and trace elements ( Ti, 80 ppm , Mn, Cu, Fe) contents depend mostly on
1900-460: The nettle was introduced by the Romans , but Plant Atlas 2020 treats it as native. The idea of its introduction was mentioned by William Camden in his book Britannia of 1586. However, in 2011, an early Bronze Age burial cist on Whitehorse Hill, Dartmoor , Devon , was excavated. The cist dated from between 1730 and 1600 BC. It contained various high value beads as well as fragments of
1950-421: The plant, from which they strip the leaves and eat them. Whoever strips and eats the most stinging nettle leaves in a fixed time is the winner. The competition dates back to 1986, when two neighbouring farmers attempted to settle a dispute about which had the worst infestation of nettles, and one of them said to the other, "I'll eat any nettle of yours that's longer than mine." As Old English stiðe , nettle
2000-514: The road turns south to end at Mekane Berhan , 10 kilometres (6 mi) beyond the park boundary. The park was established in 1969, having been set up by Clive Nicol , who wrote about his experiences in From the Roof of Africa (1971, ISBN 0 340 14755 5 ). The Simien region has been inhabited and cultivated for at least 2,000 years. Initially, erosion began to reveal that the clearing began at
2050-553: The roots. The soft, green leaves are 1 to 6 inches (30 to 200 mm) long and are borne oppositely on an erect, wiry, green stem. The leaves have a strongly serrated margin, a cordate base, and an acuminate tip with a terminal leaf tooth longer than adjacent laterals. It bears small, greenish or brownish, numerous flowers in dense axillary inflorescences. The leaves and stems are very hairy with non-stinging hairs, and in most subspecies, also bear many stinging hairs ( trichomes or spicules), whose tips come off when touched, transforming
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2100-874: The severe stress on wildlife. In order to maintain excellent universal values, environmental education and training programs of residents living in and out of the heritage are needed as well as obtaining the cooperation and support of local residents in heritage management. The resettlement of inhabitants was criticized as a case of green colonialism , whereby local people's practices are replaced by eco-tourism economy. National parks in Ethiopia National parks and other protected areas cover 17% of Ethiopia 's land area. They include: <html><body><image src=``c:users/ Stinging nettle Urtica dioica , often known as common nettle , burn nettle , stinging nettle (although not all plants of this species sting) or nettle leaf , or just
2150-404: The site of a long-abandoned building, and can also indicate soil fertility . Human and animal waste may be responsible for elevated levels of phosphate and nitrogen in the soil, providing an ideal environment for nettles. Nettles are the larval food plant for several species of butterflies , such as the peacock butterfly , comma ( Polygonia c-album ), and the small tortoiseshell . It
2200-608: The skin via spicules – causing mechanical irritation – and by biochemical irritants, such as histamine , serotonin , and acetylcholine , among other chemicals. Anti-itch drugs , usually in the form of creams containing antihistamines or hydrocortisone , may provide relief from nettle dermatitis . The term contact urticaria has a wider use in dermatology , involving dermatitis caused by various skin irritants and pathogens . Docks , especially Rumex obtusifolius (the broad-leaf dock) often grow in similar environments to stinging nettles and are regarded as
2250-454: The slope of the northern slope of the massif are mostly native to the Simien Mountains, and most of them are found in the park. The Ethiopian wolf, Gelada baboon, Menelik's bushbuck, and Walia Ibex are mammals endemic to Ethiopian Highlands. Other rare mammals include Hamadryas baboon , colobus monkey , leopard , caracal , serval , wild cat , spotted hyena , golden jackal , and Anubis baboon . There are also small herbivores that are within
2300-541: The slopes of simian mountains, such as rock hyrax , common duiker , and klipspringer . In an expedition in 2015, 11 species of rodents and two shrew species were recorded, all of which are endemic to the Ethiopian Plateau, and 7 of which have only been observed in the Simien Mountains. These include Arvicanthis abyssinicus and Crocidura baileyi . A possible new species of shrew in the genus Crocidura may also have been identified. The park provides
2350-472: The soil and the season. Carotenoids can be found primarily in the leaves, where different forms of lutein , xanthophyll and carotene are present (Table 2). Some carotenes are precursors of vitamin A (retinol), their retinol equivalents RE or retinol activity equivalents per g dry weight are 1.33 for mature leaves and 0.9 for young leaves. Nettle contains much less carotenes and retinol than carrots, which contain 8.35 RE per g fresh weight. Depending on
2400-556: The stabilization of those species' populations, this listing was removed in 2017. Simien Mountains National Park is located on the western side of the Simien Mountains and is 120 kilometres (75 mi) from the Gondar province of Begemder in the northwestern part of Ethiopia. It is located within the Simien Massif, which rises above the northern highlands of Ethiopia. The highlands were formed by volcanic flood basalts dating from
2450-536: The stinging chemicals from the plant, which allows them to be handled and eaten without injury. After the stinging nettle enters its flowering and seed-setting stages, the leaves develop gritty particles called cystoliths . Many sources claim consumption of these can irritate the kidneys and urinary tract, but there is no medical evidence to support this claim. Cystoliths are made of calcium carbonate , and will not dissolve when boiled. Leaves harvested post-flowering must have their cystoliths broken down by acid , as in
2500-432: The variable fibre content, the fibre yields vary between 0.2 and 7 dt / ha, but the yields are normally in the range between 2 and 4 dt / ha. Fibre varieties are normally cloning varieties and therefore planted from vegetative propagated plantlets. Direct seeding is possible, but leads to great heterogeneity in maturity. Nettles may be used as a dye-stuff , producing yellow from the roots, or yellowish green from
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