| 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. |
| nettle family | |
noun | |
| a family of plants of order Urticales including many nettles with stinging hairs [syn: Urticaceae] |