Ramie

Ramie
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Urticaceae
Genus:	Boehmeria
Species:	B. nivea
Binomial name
	Boehmeria nivea; (L.) Gaudich.

Ramie (pronounced: /ˈreɪmi/, RAY-mee; from Malay rami), Boehmeria nivea, is a flowering plant in the nettle family Urticaceae, native to eastern Asia. It is a herbaceous perennial growing to 1.0–2.5 m (3 ft 3 in – 8 ft 2 in) tall;^[1] the leaves are heart-shaped, 7–15 cm (2.8–5.9 in) long and 6–12 cm (2.4–4.7 in) broad, and white on the underside with dense, small hairs—this gives it a silvery appearance; unlike stinging nettles, the hairs do not sting. The true ramie or China grass is also called Chinese plant or white ramie.

A second type, known as green ramie or rhea, is believed to have originated in the Malay Peninsula^{[citation needed]}. It has smaller leaves which are green on the underside, and it appears to be better suited to tropical conditions.^[1] The word "ramie" is derived from the Malay word rami.^[2]

^ ^a ^b Ramie: Old Fiber - New Image Archived copy at the Library of Congress (September 17, 2002).
^ "ramie", entry, p. 156, vol. 13, The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989, ISBN 0-19-861225-7.

[oldnew-1] Ramie: Old Fiber - New Image Archived copy at the Library of Congress (September 17, 2002).

[2] "ramie", entry, p. 156, vol. 13, The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989, ISBN 0-19-861225-7.

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