Boehmeria nivea

China (S-Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi,
Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang), Taiwan, Japan (Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu), Ryukyu
Isl., Java, Bhutan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar [Burma] (I), Sikkim (I),
Cambodia, Nepal, Laos, Sikkim, Vietnam, Thailand, Sumatra, Borneo, Philippines
(Batan, Babuyan), Andamans (North Andamans, Middle Andamans, South Andamans,
Little Andaman Isl.), Nicobars (Car Nicobar Isl., North Nicobars, Central
Nicobars, Great Nicobar Isl., Little Nicobar Isl.), Sri Lanka, Maledives,
Singapore (I), Australia (I) (Queensland (I)), Volcano Isl. (Minami-Iwojima),
Panama (I), Mexico (I), Colombia (I), Jamaica (I), Venezuela (I), Haiti (I),
Dominican Republic (I), Puerto Rico (I), Nicaragua (I), El Salvador (I),
Guatemala (I), Honduras (I), Lesser Antilles (I) (Guadeloupe (I), St. Vincent
(I), St. Lucia (I)), Paragauay (I), Fiji (I), Norfolk Isl. (I), Society Isl. (I)
(Raiatea (I)), Marshall Isl. (I) (Jaluit (I)), Palau Isl. (I) (Koror (I)),
Southern Marianas (I) (Saipan (I), Guam (I)), Micronesia (I) (Pohnpei) (I)), USA
(I) (Alabama (I), California (I), District of Columbia (I), Florida (I), Georgia
(I), Louisiana (I), Maryland (I), Mississippi (I), South Carolina (I), Texas
(I), Virginia (I)), Azerbaijan (I), Georgia [Caucasus] (I), Korea (I),
Tajikistan (I), Nigeria (I), Bioko Isl. (Fernando Poo) (I), Sao Tome (I), D.R.
Congo (Zaire) (I), Congo (Brazzaville) (I), Tanzania (I), Zanzibar (I),
Madagascar (I), Mozambique (I), Trinidad & Tobago (I) as per Catalogue of Life; 

Ramie (Boehmeria nivea) is a flowering plant in the nettle family Urticaceae, native to eastern Asia. It is a herbaceous perennial growing to 1–2.5 m tall;[1] the leaves are heart-shaped, 7–15 cm long and 6–12 cm broad, and white on the underside with dense small hairs—this gives it a silvery appearance; unlike stinging nettles, the hairs do not sting. The true ramie or China grass, is also called Chinese plant or white ramie.

A second type, known as green ramie or rhea, is believed to have originated in the Malay Peninsula. It has smaller leaves which are green on the underside, and it appears to be better suited to tropical conditions.[1] The word ramie is derived from the ancient Malayan language.[2]
Ramie is one of the oldest fiber crops, having been used for at least six thousand years, and is principally used for fabric production. It is a bast fiber, and the part used is the bark (phloem) of the vegetative stalks. Ramie is normally harvested two to three times a year but under good growing conditions can be harvested up to six times per year.[3] Unlike other bast crops, ramie requires chemical processing to de-gum the fiber.
Harvesting is done just before or soon after the beginning of flowering. It is done at this time because at this stage there is a decline in plant growth and the maximum fiber content is achieved.[3] Stems are harvested by either cutting just above the lateral roots or else bending the stem. This will enable the core to be broken and the cortex can be stripped from the plant in situ.[3]
After harvesting, stems are decorticated while the plants are fresh. If this is not done while the plants are still fresh the plants will dry out and the bark will be hard to remove. The bark ribbon is then dried as quickly as possible. This will prevent bacteria and fungi from attacking it.[3]The dry weight of harvested stem from crops ranges from 3.4 to 4.5 t/ha/year, so a 4.5 ton crop yields 1,600 kg/ha/year of dry non-de-gummed fiber. The weight loss during de-gumming can be up to 25% giving a yield of de-gummed fiber of about 1,200 kg/ha/year.[3]
The extraction of the fiber occurs in three stages. First the cortex or bark is removed; this can be done by hand or by machine. This process is called de-cortication. Second the cortex is scraped to remove most of the outer bark, the parenchyma in the bast layer and some of the gums and pectins. Finally the residual cortex material is washed, dried, and de-gummed to extract the spinnable fiber.[3]
Despite its strength, ramie has had limited acceptance for textile use. The fiber’s extraction and cleaning are expensive, chiefly because of the several steps—involving scraping, pounding, heating, washing, or exposure to chemicals. Some or all are needed to separate the raw fiber from the adhesive gums or resins in which it is ensheathed. Spinning the fiber is made difficult by its brittle quality and low elasticity; and weaving is complicated by the hairy surface of the yarn, resulting from lack of cohesion between the fibers. The greater utilization of ramie depends upon the development of improved processing methods.
Ramie is used to make such products as industrial sewing thread, packing materials, fishing nets, and filter cloths. It is also made into fabrics for household furnishings (upholstery, canvas) and clothing, frequently in blends with other textile fibers (for instance when used in admixture with wool, shrinkage is reported to be greatly reduced when compared with pure wool.) Shorter fibers and waste are used in paper manufacture. Ramie ribbon is used in fine bookbinding as a substitute for traditional linen tape.
(From Wikipedia on 17.12.14)
 
 
Please see if you have in your photo collection a picture of “Flowering or Fruiting branch” of Ramie (Boehemeria nivea). If available, please send it to me ASAP for use in my upcoming book “Economic Botany-A comprehensive Study”5th edition , being published by the Cambridge University Press, London and their subsidiaries. In case you don’t have, please forward my request to your personal contacts . This is urgent as the updated “Word File “of my book has been returned to CUP for formatting and editing.

Thanks, …, I checked up on Boehmeria nivea in efloraofindia. Nobody has posted it so far in last seven & a half years’ of its history.
So can’t help in this regard.
However marking a copy in bcc to a few experts, if they can help you in the matter.
I am also marking it to efloraofindia, if anybody have one to help you out.

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SK1589 21 Nov 2018 : 6 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (4)- around 700 kb each. 

Location: Victoria Peak, Hong Kong 
Date: 2 November 2018
Elevation: 1300 ft.

Habit : Wild

Which Urticaceae ??

Looks like Boehmeria nivea.  

Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich. I guess matching. 

 

 

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