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The Ramie (Boehmeria nivea) belongs to Urticaceae (the Nettle family). It is a perennial herb that is native to eastern Asia. It was intruduced into Japan as a fiber crop via China in ancient days. Nowadays, it is naturalized westward from Kanto district of Honshu, and can be found in roadsides and waste lands. This herb can reach 1-2.5 m in height. The leaves are ovate-round, alternate and covered densely with wooly hairs on the abaxial sides. It is monoecious. The branched cymes are borne at the axils and bloom inconspicuous flowers from August to September. In Chinese, it is called "苧麻" (zhu ma).
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