Great instructive pictures that would really do a botany textbook honour! Thanks for sharing.
Over here now in spring we collect the young stinging nettles, shortly boil them in water and serve them like spinach. They can also be prepared together with spinach. Spice it with sour cream, pepper, soy sauce. Have it on spaghetti al dente. Give a spoonful of quince or apple jelly/syrup over it when a portion is on your plate. On top grate some fresh Parmesan (don´t take that disgusting pre-grated stuff out of the bag/can). Sprinkle tuna (in brine, out of the tin) on top and at last drizzle some good olive oil (extra vergine) over it. A healthy and yummy dish. Bon apetit! (You don´t mind me

sharing a little recipe, do you?. It´s not OT, anyway).
And I know that somewhere in Britain they run a contest where the blokes devour loads of raw stinging nettles, as many as they can in a given time.

The one who manages to stuff down the most will be the winner. I wonder how one´s gums, tongue, throat and stomach must feel thereafter ?!
Cheers and a jolly cheerio!
Betty
