About Urtica galeopsifolia J.Jacq. ex Blume
Urtica dioica subsp. galeopsifolia, commonly called fen nettle or stingless nettle, is a herbaceous perennial plant native to Europe. Taxonomists disagree on its classification: it is treated either as a subspecies of the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), or as a separate species with the scientific name Urtica galeopsifolia. Unlike most other nettles, fen nettle has no stinging hairs, or only very few, and is instead covered in a dense layer of fine, non-stinging hairs. It bears long, narrow leaves that resemble the leaves of the unrelated hemp nettles of the genus Galeopsis. Mature fen nettle plants can grow up to 2 metres (7 ft) tall. It is distributed across west, central, and east Europe, where it grows in damp, neutral soil in habitats including fens and riverbanks, and often forms dense stands. Unlike other subspecies of Urtica dioica, it does not grow in disturbed habitats. Fen nettle can interbreed with European stinging nettle (Urtica dioica subsp. dioica), producing intermediate hybrid plants that have both stinging and non-stinging hairs.
