Dear Chris, Thank you for the detailed and valuable information. Fibers from this plant is used to make fabric called Allo which now a days is famous for making Coat and even exported .
By the way only one Girardinia is listed in Nepal so far. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=110&taxon_id=113573 Thank you. Saroj Kasaju On Wed, Nov 16, 2016 at 9:10 AM, J.M. Garg <[email protected]> wrote: > 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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