nettle family

American  

noun

1. the plant family Urticaceae, characterized by herbaceous plants, trees, and shrubs, sometimes covered with stinging hairs, having alternate or opposite simple leaves, clusters of small flowers, and small, dry, seedlike fruit, and including baby's-tears, clearweed, nettles of the genus Urtica, and ramie.

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Example Sentences

Morus, mō′rus, n. a genus of trees or shrubs of the nettle family—the mulberries.

From Project Gutenberg

It is a colossus of the forest, and belongs to the nettle family.

From Project Gutenberg

Ramie is a member of the nettle family and attains a height of from four to eight feet.

From Project Gutenberg

This plant resembles ramie and belongs to the nettle family also, but it is without the troublesome resin of the ramie.

From Project Gutenberg