Thanks, Chadwell ji and Saroj ji On 15 Nov 2016 9:27 am, "[email protected]" < [email protected]> wrote:
> Yes, I think this must be Girardinia diversifollia, the 'Giant Himalayan > Stinging Nettle' but your selection of just close-ups (with the last image > of foliage out-of-focus) do not match well what I am familiar of this > species including my own photos and experience up-close. Please take > and include in your posts shots of habitat and habit of plants as well as > close-ups as it can be hard to gain an overall impression of what one is > looking at. > > I first came across this plant in Nepal but it is also widespread in the > Kulu Valley, H.P. I do not recollect ever coming across it in Kashmir > though as I have commented in other posts, have not spent much time at the > elevations where this is found in N.Pakistan & Kashmir i.e. 1500-2400m. > Stewart does not record it from the main Kashmir Valley. > > There is a line drawing of the plant in 'Flora Simlensis'. Collet found it > to be common in forest at Simla remarking that Roxburgh called it a most > ferocious-looking plant with the stings producing acute pain but it is of > short duration. He said the stems furnish a fine silky fibre, used in > Sikkim (little was known of Nepal at the time) for ropes, twine and coarse > cloth. > > A Britisher who was a volunteer TB-vaccinator for The Britain-Nepal > Medical Trust (his father was a doctor who helped in the early years of > this NGO charity) never forgot the first time he was 'stung' by it - > getting through his jeans like a "hot knife through butter". He was wary > afterwards. *One of the risks of plunging too readily into vegetation at > certain elevations in Nepal is this plant. It was a 'rude' awakening for > me during my first visit to Nepal back in 1990 to encounter this and > leeches - which I had not come across in Kashmir or the Indian > TransHimalaya...* > > Flowers of Himalaya say it is found from Pakistan to Bhutan, India, > Myanamar & China @ 1200-3000m on wasteland, shrubberies & edges of > cultivation. > > Flora of Bhutan describes its habitat as subtropical and warm broad-leaved > forest more rarely cool broad-leaves forest @ 850-2750m. Fibres (which are > one of the longest in the plant kingdom) much used to make ropes, > bow-strings and coarse cloth. > > Roy Lancaster, a British Plantsman within his two books on Nepal recounted > an occasion when a porter claimed to have been bitten by a demon when it > was still dark early one morning. The 'demons' because there were lots of > them turned out to be this Giant Himalayan Stinging nettle! > > *But this is SUCH an important plant which has enormous additional > potential for Nepal to help against soil-erosion and protection against > landslides & damage from earthquakes in villages at elevations where its > growth can be encouraged. I am not suggesting it can 'stop' a major > earthquake or major landslide but on a smaller scale it could make a real > difference, reducing damage and even saving lives. I have been drawing > attention to this (there are already many NGOs and Womens' Groups in > Nepal encouraging the use of fibre from this plant) for a couple of years > now but not one person has commented let alone any response from those who > need to act to "make things happen" in Nepal. Perhaps someone reading > these comments will contact me and take up the cause:* > > > *This remarkable plant warrants greater efforts to encourage planting on a > LARGE SCALE in and around villages in Nepal. And following the recent > earthquakes and awareness that the country is prone to earthquakes, > measures that can be taken to reduce the impact of landslides are of major > importance. They should, as a PRIORITY, include propagating this valuable > plant and planting in suitable locations. It is something which local > villages can be involved with themselves, having the not inconsiderable > advantage of incurring little or no cost and there being the bonus of > products to be made by weaving its fibres and income to be generated for > WOMEN in the villages. The villagers would be doing something positive. > Many villagers are already familiar with the plant, which occurs > naturally, so it is not a matter of introducing a strange, alien species, > which may end up doing more harm than good.* > > *It has been recognised for some time that the 'Giant Himalayan Stinging > Nettle' (GIRARDINIA DIVERSIFOLIA) has a tough root system which helps bind > soil and prevent soil erosion - which has long been a serious problem in > many Nepali Villages. It can grow on slopes and poor soils not suitable > for cultivation of crops, indeed appears by itself around some abandoned > yak herders huts. * > > *It should be viewed as a valuable crop as the fibres within it (which I > understand to be the longest in the plant kingdom) can be woven into many > products, which can be sold (even the head-bands for the bamboo baskets > worn on backs, which for centuries have been the main means of transport of > goods in Nepal (pack animals are not generally used in the way they are in > the Western Himalaya). As it is the women who do the weaving, any sales go > into their pockets. The world over, money which is controlled by women > tends to be MUCH BETTER SPENT - not least in the poorest communities. > There is even the bonus that the plant is utilised in religious ceremonies > and its weaving maintains traditional skills and traditional way-of-life - > so it really is a WIN, WIN situation.* > > *For further information see: > https://sites.google.com/a/shpa.org.uk/main/giant-himalayan-stinging-nettles---saviours-of-landslip-prone-nepalese-villages > <https://sites.google.com/a/shpa.org.uk/main/giant-himalayan-stinging-nettles---saviours-of-landslip-prone-nepalese-villages> > or > contact me directly.* > > *There are lots of ways efloraofIndia can be of use let us hope helping to > reach influential people is one of them.....* > > > > On Monday, November 14, 2016 at 4:35:48 PM UTC, Saroj Kumar Kasaju wrote: > >> Dear Members, >> >> Location: Champadevi , Nepal >> Altitude: 5000 ft. >> Date: 12 November 2016 >> >> Nepali Names: >> >> अल्लो Allo / अल्लो सिस्नु Allo Sisnu / भ्यान्ग्रे सिस्नु Bhyaangre >> Sisnu / चाल्ने सिस्नु Chaalne Sisnu / काली सिस्नु Kaali Sisnu / लेख सिस्नु >> Lekh Sisnu / ठुलो सिस्नु Thulo Sisnu >> >> >> Thank you. >> Saroj Kasaju >> >> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. 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