Annakkotittuva (Laportea Interrupta) Anuthuva

⚠️ Handle with Care! Annakkotittuva (Laportea interrupta) is a stinging nettle known for its painful sting. 🌿 Despite its defense, it’s a valued medicinal plant in traditional systems. For educational & expert use only.

⚠️ The Stinging Healer: Annakkotittuva (Laportea Interrupta) 🌿

CRITICAL WARNING: This plant is covered in stinging hairs that inject a potent neurotoxin. Contact causes a painful, burning rash that can last for hours or even days. Handle with extreme caution, using gloves and protective clothing. Not suitable for gardens accessible to children or pets.

The Annakkotittuva, also known as Anuthuva, is a plant that demands respect. It is a member of the stinging nettle family, armed with a formidable defense mechanism. However, behind this painful exterior lies a plant with a history of use in traditional medicine. Like its relative, the common stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), it is believed to possess therapeutic properties, though its use is less common and requires deep traditional knowledge and expert handling.

This plant is listed for educational, botanical, and ethnobotanical purposes only.

✨ Botanical Characteristics & Cautious Considerations:

• 🌿 A Plant of Traditional Significance: In some local folk medicine traditions, parts of this plant are used with great caution in preparations, similar to other stinging nettles. Such uses are for EXPERTS ONLY and are not recommended for home use.

• ⚡ Powerful Stinging Hairs: The entire plant, especially the stems and leaves, is covered in hollow, silica-tipped hairs that act like hypodermic needles. When touched, they break and inject a cocktail of chemicals, including formic acid and histamine, causing intense pain and inflammation.

• 🌱 Habitat and Growth: It is typically found in moist, shaded, and disturbed areas. It is an annual herb that can form patches in suitable environments.

• 🔬 A Subject of Botanical Interest: For botanists and serious plant enthusiasts, this plant is a fascinating example of plant defense mechanisms and co-evolution. It is studied for its unique chemical compounds.

• 🚫 NOT for General Gardening: Due to its hazardous nature, it is not recommended as an ornamental or medicinal plant for the average home garden. We strongly advise considering safer alternatives.

This plant is sold strictly for academic study and botanical collection under controlled conditions.