密毛苎麻 mi mao zhu ma

Boehmeria platyphylla D. Don var. tomentosa (Weddell) Weddell.

Shrubs 2-8 m tall; branchlets densely yellowish tomentose. Leaves opposite, unequal in size; stipules lanceolate, ca. 10 mm; petiole 1-8 cm, tomentose; leaf blade suborbicular or orbicular-ovate, 6.5-18.5 × 4.5-15 cm, papery, secondary veins 2 each side of midvein, abaxial surface densely and ferruginous tomentose to densely pubescent, adaxial surface densely strigose, base cordate or subtruncate, margin denticulate, apex shortly acuminate or acuminate. Glomerules unisexual, on long spikelike branches, nodding; male spikes in pairs, in axils of fallen leaves, 5-12 cm; female spikes simple, in axils of current leaves, 8-16 cm. Male flowers 4-merous, sessile; perianth lobes elliptic, ca. 1.5 mm, sparsely puberulent, connate at base; rudimentary ovule subcolumnar, ca. 0.6 mm. Fruiting perianth obovoid, compressed, 1.5-2 mm, densely strigose on shoulder, base obtuse, apex 2-toothed. Fl. Apr-Jul, fr. Aug-Oct.

Forest margins, along streams; 1500-2400 m. SW Sichuan, NW and S Yunnan [Bhutan, NE India, Nepal, Sikkim].

The fibers are used to make ropes.