Urtica spatulata

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Urtica scalpe
• Urtica urentissima
• Urtica bonariensis

Sources: Wikidata

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Rosales, it is classified under the family Urticaceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic placement is within the genus Urったica.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a widespread distribution across several key regions of the Southern Hemisphere. In Brazil, its presence is specifically noted throughout the southern portion of the country. Moving into Southern South America, the species can be found in the northeast, south, and northwest regions of Argentina. Additionally, the plant extends its range into the neighboring territory of Paraguay. Together, these locations define the primary geographical footprint of Urtica spatulata.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Urtica spatulaata is characterized by its presence in highly humid and moisture-rich environments, specifically thriving within the Floresta Ombrófila (Rainforest) and the Floresta Ombrófila Mista. This species occupies a lowland to mid-altitude ecological niche, with an elevational range extending from 0 m AMSL up to a maximum of 500 m AMSL. Its distribution is closely tied to these dense, high-precipitation forest ecosystems, where the consistent humidity and specific forest structures provide the necessary environmental conditions for its development.

Elevational range max:

500 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

Floresta Ombrófila (= Floresta Pluvial), Floresta Ombrófila Mista

Life history

The life history of Urtica spatulaata is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning the plant completes its entire developmental progression from seed germination to seed production within a single growing season. During its active phase, the plant focuses on rapid vegetative growth, establishing its structure and accumulating necessary nutrients to support its reproductive cycle. As the season progresses, it transitions from the vegetative stage to a reproductive stage, culminating in the flowering and subsequent production of seeds. Once the seeds are dispersed, the individual plant dies, ensuring the continuation of the species through the next generation of seedlings in the following year.

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Urtica spatulaata is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb, existing primarily as a terrestrial plant. It functions as an independent organism, lacking any parasitic tendencies, and maintains a self-supporting structure without the need for climbing mechanisms. As a terrestrial species, it does not exhibit epiphytic behavior, such as being a holoepiphyte or hemiepiphyte, but rather grows directly in its substrate. The plant's physical structure is defined by its herbaceous nature, lacking any woody tissues, which categorizes its biological habit as a non-woody herb.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

non-woody

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Urtica spatulata has 4 reported plant parts identified across 22 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, root, stem, flower.

Leaf

1. Cureus
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM
4. Progress in biophysics and molecular biology
5. Orvosi hetilap

Root

1. Planta medica
2. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM
3. Progress in biophysics and molecular biology
4. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
5. Heliyon

Stem

1. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM
2. Progress in biophysics and molecular biology

Flower

1. Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine

Chemicals

Urtica spatulata has 246 reported phytochemicals identified across 22 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Carotenoids, CU, IRON, MN.

Flavonoids

1. Dr. Duke
2. Pharmaceutical biology
3. Natural products and bioprospecting
4. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Carotenoids

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Natural products and bioprospecting
4. Heliyon
5. Frontiers in nutrition

CU

1. Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Ceska a Slovenska farmacie : casopis Ceske farmaceuticke spolecnosti a Slovenske farmaceuticke spolecnosti
4. Acta poloniae pharmaceutica

IRON

1. Dr. Duke
2. International journal of environmental health research
3. Biological trace element research
4. Frontiers in plant science

MN

1. Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju
2. Marine pollution bulletin
3. Ceska a Slovenska farmacie : casopis Ceske farmaceuticke spolecnosti a Slovenske farmaceuticke spolecnosti
4. Acta poloniae pharmaceutica

ascorbic acid

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Frontiers in plant science
4. Frontiers in nutrition

polyphenols

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Heliyon
4. Frontiers in nutrition

Ash

1. Dr. Duke
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Journal of environmental science and health. Part. B, Pesticides, food contaminants, and agricultural wastes

CALCIUM

1. Dr. Duke
2. Biological trace element research
3. Frontiers in plant science

CHLOROGENIC ACID

1. Dr. Duke
2. Foods (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Activities

Urtica spatulata has 822 reported activities identified across 22 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Anticancer, Antifungal.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. BMC complementary medicine and therapies
3. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
5. International journal of environmental health research

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
3. International journal of environmental health research
4. Pharmaceutical biology
5. International journal of biological macromolecules

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Pharmaceutical biology
5. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)
3. International journal of biological macromolecules
4. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
5. Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France)

Antifungal

1. International journal of biological macromolecules
2. Roumanian archives of microbiology and immunology
3. Folia medica
4. Revista de biologia tropical

Antimicrobial

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies
2. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
3. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
4. Folia medica

Antiproliferative

1. Dr. Duke
2. BMC complementary medicine and therapies
3. Heliyon
4. Archivio italiano di urologia, andrologia : organo ufficiale [di] Societa italiana di ecografia urologica e nefrologica

Antihypertensive

1. Dr. Duke
2. Biomolecules
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antiinflammatory

1. Dr. Duke
2. Recent patents on inflammation & allergy drug discovery
3. Pharmaceutical biology

Analgesic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Heliyon

Preparations

Urtica spatulata has 43 reported preparations identified across 22 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include extracts, UD extract, extract, hydro-alcoholic extract, leaves.

Extracts

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
4. BioMedicine
5. Urological research

Ud extract

1. Pharmaceutical biology
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. BMC complementary and alternative medicine

Extract

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek

Hydro-alcoholic extract

1. Folia medica
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Leaves

1. Progress in biophysics and molecular biology
2. Biological trace element research

Plant extract

1. Biomolecules
2. Drug and chemical toxicology

Ankafeerd blood stopper

1. Blood coagulation & fibrinolysis : an international journal in haemostasis and thrombosis

Ankaferd blood stopper

1. Clinical and applied thrombosis/hemostasis : official journal of the International Academy of Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis

Crude methanolic extract

1. Journal of translational medicine

H3

1. Parasites & vectors