Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis (American stinging nettle) with their toothed, heart-shaped leaves en masse next to the trail. Mostly, as here, they weren't too hard to avoid. Rather attractive, actually, when massed like this. Just don't touch.
Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis (American stinging nettle) with their toothed, heart-shaped leaves en masse next to the trail. Mostly, as here, they weren't too hard to avoid. Rather attractive, actually, when massed like this. Just don't touch.
![Urtica dioica ssp. holosericea (hoary nettle) below the road, along -- almost in -- Welch Creek. These look different than the nettles I saw in Marin last week. In the field, I suspected ssp. gracilis. Turns out ssp. gracilis doesn't grow this far inland. Jepson explains: "Plants [of ssp. holosericea] in shade tend to have wider leaves, fewer hairs, so approach Urtica dioica subsp. gracilis. "](https://photos.smugmug.com/Browser/Families/Urticaceae/i-VhH3Rkh/3/9e609459/Th/P1030443-Th.jpg)