Ramie


Ramie - Photo by Scamperdale

Ramie is a fiber crop. It has been used for at least 6,000 years, especially in China, to produce fabrics. The fibers used for textiles come from the inner bark (phloem) of the vegetative stalks.

Names

Scientific
   Boehmeria nivea
English
   China grass
   Ramie
   True ramie
   White ramie
Dutch
   Ramie
Spanish
   Ramio
French
   Ramie
German
   Chinagras
   Ramie
Italian
   Ramiè

Taxonomy

Genus
   Boehmeria
Family
   Urticaceae
Order
   Urticales

Basic information and facts

Origin:

Eastern Asia

Distribution:

Main production is in China, followed by Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Brazil.

Annual, biennial, or perennial:

Ramie is a herbaceous perennial plant.

Leaves:

Ramie has heart-shaped leaves, which are 7 to 15 cm long and 6 to 12 cm wide. Leave are white on the underside and covered with dense small hairs. Ramie is related to stinging nettles, but its hairs do not sting.

Climate and weather:

Prefers a warm and humid climate with a lot of rainfall.

Height:

The plants are 1 to 2.5 meters tall.

Propagation:

Usually propagated with cuttings from underground stems.

Harvesting:

The plants can be harvested several times per year. They are harvested just before the plant starts flowering, by cutting just above the lateral roots.

Uses:

The fibers of the inner bark of the stalks are used to produce textiles and products such as industrial sewing thread, packing materials, fishing nets, filter cloths and bio-plastics. Sometimes Ramie is grown as an ornamental plant.

Crop categories

Fiber crops
Ornamental plants
Temperate crops

Pictures


Ramie - Photo by Scamperdale

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