Urtica gracilis subsp. holosericea

Stems softly pubescent, also with stinging hairs. Leaf blades abaxially sparsely to densely tomentose to moderately strigose, soft to touch, with stinging hairs, adaxially without or rarely with a few stinging hairs. Flowers unisexual, staminate and pistillate mostly on same plants. 2 n = 26.

Flowering late spring-summer. Alluvial woods, margins of deciduous or mixed woodlands, fencerows, waste places; 0-3100 m; Ariz., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., N.Mex., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.; Mexico.

Urtica dioica subsp. holosericea is highly variable in leaf shape and degree of pubescence. The least pubescent plants appear to grade into U . dioica subsp. gracilis , and it is sometimes difficult to separate the two.

The name U . serra Blume has been misapplied to this taxon.

LEAVES: Lower surface of leaves sparingly to densely tomentose and moderately strigose, soft to the touch, with stinging hairs. 2n = 26. NOTES: See also parent taxon. Alluvial woods, margins of deciduous or mixed woodlands, fencerows, waste places; n Apache, n Coconino cos.; 2150-3050 m (7000‑10000 ft); late spring‑summer; CA, w CO, ID, sw MT, OR, NM (Catron co.), NV, UT, WA, sw WY; Mex. Highly variable in leaf shape and degree of hairiness. The least hairy plants appear to grade into subsp. gracilis and it is sometimes difficult to separate the two. REFERENCES: Boufford, David E. 1992. Urticaceae. Ariz.-Nev. Acad. Sci. 26(1)2.