Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich., Urticaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 12 (Go to the risk assessment).

Other Latin names:  Urtica nivea L.; Urtica tenacissima Roxb.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chamorro: amahadyan, sayafi

Chinese: zhu ma

English: China grass, Chinese silkplant, ramie, rhea

French: ramie de Chine

Japanese: namban-kara-mushi

Palauan: rami

Spanish: ortiga blanca, ramio

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Subshrubs or shrubs simple or few branched, 0.5-1.5 m tall; upper stems, branchlets, and petioles densely patent hirsute, appressed strigose or only strigose. Monoecious. Leaves alternate; stipules lanceolate, free or connate and 2-cleft, 7-11 mm; petiole 2.5-10 cm; leaf blade often orbicular or broadly ovate, sometimes ovate or elliptic-ovate, 5-15 x 3.5-13 cm, herbaceous, secondary veins ca. 3 each side of midvein, abaxial surface snowy tomentose, sometimes light green with strigose hairs on veins, or thinly white tomentose, adaxial surface slightly rough and sparsely hispid, base subtruncate, rounded, cordate, or cuneate, margin dentate from base, apex cuspidate or acuminate. Glomerules unisexual, on specialized, unisexual flowering branches in the axils of current or recently fallen leaves, these paired and much branched, usually shorter than petioles and often congested in fruit, male branches proximal or sometimes absent, female distal. Male glomerules few-flowered, 2-4 mm in diameter; female glomerules many-flowered, 2-3 mm in diameter. Male flowers 4-merous, sessile; perianth lobes connate to middle, ca. 1.5 mm, pubescent. Female flowers rhomboid-ellipsoidal, 0.6-0.8 mm; stigma ca. 1 mm. Fruiting perianth rhomboid-obovoid, compressed, ca. 1 mm, strigose on shoulder, base constricted and stalklike, apex almost without neck, 2-3-toothed; achenes subovoid, ca. 0.6 mm, base stipitate.  This species is extremely variable, but can be distinguished easily by its alternate leaves, cymose inflorescences, and stipitate achenes"  (Flora of China online).

Habitat/ecology:  In China (native), "forest margins, thickets, moist places along streams, roadsides, often cultivated; 200-1700 m" (Flora of China online).  In Fiji, "Sparingly cultivated and rarely naturalizing along roadsides near sea level" (Smith, 1981; p. 239).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Temperate and tropical Asia, naturalized and cultivated elsewhere (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island	introduced invasive	Australian Biological Resources Study (2011) Voucher cited: R.O.Gardner 5869 (AUCK, K) Possibly an escape from cultivation.
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Saipan Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 58)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Aitutaki Atoll	introduced invasive	McCormack, Gerald (2011)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	introduced invasive	McCormack, Gerald (2011)
Federated States of Micronesia Pohnpei Islands	Pohnpei Island	introduced cultivated	Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. (2010) (p. 138) Perhaps cultivated.
Fiji Fiji Islands	Taveuni Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 239) Voucher cited: DA 11516
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 239) Voucher cited: Bierhorst F178
Fiji Fiji Islands	Viti Levu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 239) Vouchers cited: DA 10145, H.B.R. Parham 120
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced invasive	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 254) As Boehmeria tenacissima (Roxb.) Gaudich. (=Boehmeria nivea var. tenacissima (Gaudich.) Miq.)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 58)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Parker, James L./Parsons, Bobby (2012) (p. 62) Voucher cited: J. Parker & R. Parsons BIED78 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1971) (voucher ID: BISH 78606) Taxon name on voucher: Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1986) (voucher ID: BISH 599059) Taxon name on voucher: Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1928) (voucher ID: BISH 71140) Taxon name on voucher: Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island		Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.) (1928) (voucher ID: BISH 71139) Taxon name on voucher: Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich.
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Jaluit (Jãlwõj) Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 58)
Palau Palau (main island group)	Koror Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 58)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2011)
China China	Hong Kong	introduced invasive cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 65) Cultivated or naturalized.
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Japan Japan	Japan (country)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Japan Japan	Japan (country)	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 181) var. tenacissima (Gaud.) Miq.
North Korea North Korea	North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
South Korea South Korea	South Korea (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced invasive	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 19) Naturalised
Taiwan Taiwan	Taiwan Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011)
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011)

Additional information:
Additional online information about Boehmeria nivea is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Boehmeria nivea as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Boehmeria nivea may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Australian Biological Resources Study. 2011. Flora of Australia Online. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra.

Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.). 1928. Voucher specimen #BISH71139(Degener, O. 8750).

Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.). 1928. Voucher specimen #BISH71140(Degener, O. 2472).

Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.). 1971. Voucher specimen #BISH78606(Gagné, W.C. 599).

Bishop Museum (U.S.A. Hawaii. Honolulu.). 1986. Voucher specimen #BISH599059(Flynn, T. 2014).

Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. 2009. A checklist of the total vascular plant flora of Singapore: native, naturalised and cultivated species. Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore. 273 pp.

Fosberg, F. R./Otobed, D./Sachet, M.-H./Oliver, R. L./Powell, D. A./Canfield, J. E. 1980. Vascular plants of Palau with vernacular names. Department of Botany, The Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 43 pp.

Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce. 1979. A geographical checklist of the Micronesian dicotyledonae. Micronesica 15:1-295.

Herrera, Katherine/Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy/Balick, Michael J. 2010. Checklist of the vascular plants of Pohnpei with local names and uses. Allertonia, in press. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Hawai‘i. 146 pp.

McCormack, Gerald. 2011. Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga.

Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro. 2004. Invasive alien species in Japan: the status quo and the new regulation for prevention of their adverse effects. Global Environmental Research 8(2)/2004: 171-191.

Parker, James L./Parsons, Bobby. 2012. New plant records from the Big Island for 2009. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucius G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2011. Part II: Plants. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers. 113:55-63.

Smith, Albert C. 1981. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 2. 810 pp.

Stone, Benjamin C. 1970. The flora of Guam. Micronesica 6:1-659.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. 2011. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Wu, Te-lin. 2001. Check List of Hong Kong Plants. Hong Kong Herbarium and the South China Institute of Botany. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Bulletin 1 (revised). 384 pp.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).