Urtica simensis

Hochst. ex Steud.

Samma

UrticaceaeLeavesPotential hazards — see below

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Leaves, Vegetable

The leaves are rubbed between cloth and boiled, then typically crushed and salted before eating alone or with other foods. It is a famine food with good nutritional value and commonly eaten in Ethiopia.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It is a tropical plant. In Ethiopia it grows between 2,500-3,500 m altitude.

Africa, East Africa, Ethiopia,

Countries: Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Comoros, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How to Identify

A nettle plant. It is an erect herb and does not branch. It grows 1 m tall. It has a creeping underground stem or rhizome. The leaves are oval and have coarse teeth. They are 5-12 cm long by 3-8 cm wide. It has stinging hairs. Plants are separately male and female.

How to Grow

The plant can be grown by seeds or runners.

Propagation: Seed - Division.

Medicinal Uses

Used in traditional medicine.

Production

The leaves need to be harvested without getting stung by the stinging hairs.

Other Information

It is a famine food. It has good food value and is commonly eaten in Ethiopia. Plants are sold in local markets.

Notes

It is also used in medicine.

Names & Synonyms

Gurgubee, Laaleessa, Laalesa, Sama

References (12)

Alemneh, D., 2020, Ethnobotany of wild edible plants in Yilmana Densa and Quarit Districts of West Gojjam Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Ethnobotany Research & Applications. 20:47
Asfaw, Z., Conservation and use of traditional vegetables in Ethiopia. FAO
Asfaw, Z. and Tadesse, M., 2001, Prospects for Sustainable Use and Development of Wild Food Plants in Ethiopia. Economic Botany, Vol. 55, No. 1, pp. 47-62
Bosch, C.H., 2004. Urtica simensis Hochst. ex A.Rich. [Internet] Record from Protabase. Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa), Wageningen, Netherlands. < http://database.prota.org/search.htm>. Accessed 23 October 2009
Demise, S. & Asfaw, Z., 2020, Ethno Botanical Study of Wild Edible Plants in Adola District, Southern, Ethiopia. International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews (IJRAR) 7(2).
Duguma, H. T., 2020, Wild Edible Plant Nutritional Contribution and Consumer Perception in Ethiopia. Hindawi International Journal of Food Science Volume 2020, Article ID 2958623, 16 pages
Ethiopia: Famine Food Field Guide. http://www.africa.upenn.edu/faminefood/category1.htm
Grubben, G. J. H. and Denton, O. A. (eds), 2004, Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA, Wageningen, Netherlands. p 540
Lulekal, E., et al, 2011, Wild edible plants in Ethiopia: a review on their potential to combat food insecurity. Afrika Focus - Vol. 24, No 2. pp 71-121
Regassa, T., et al, 2014, Ethnobotany of Wild and Semi-Wild Edible Plants of Chelia District, West-Central Ethiopia. Science, Technology and Arts Research Journal. 3(4): 122-134
Seifu, T. et al, 2017, Polyphenolic content and Antioxidant Activity of leaves of Urtica simensis grown in Ethiopia. Latin American Applied Research. 47:35-40
Sina, B. & Degu, H. D., 2015, Knowledge and use of Wild Edible Plants in the Hula District of the Sidama Zone. International Journal of Bio-resource and Stress Management 6(3):352-365