イラクサ科カラムシ属の多年草で、学名は Boehmeria nipononivea (syn. Boehmeria nivea var. concolor f. nipononivea)。英名はありません。
The "Kara-mushi" (Boehmeria nipononivea) belongs to Urticaceae (the Nettle family). It is a perennial herb that is distributed widely from Honshu to Shikoku, Kyushu of Japan and southern Asia. This herb grows in wet places near town, and it is thought that escaped from the caltivated areas in the ancient days. The fiber was made from the stems. The reverse side of leaves are silvery white because of the dence white minute hairs. The inconspicuous pale green flower-clusters come in July to October. The Japanese name "kara-mushi" comes from the stem (kara), which is steamed (mushi) and peeled. In Chinese, it is called "伏毛苧麻" (fu mao zhu ma).