Ramie
| Ramie | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Rosales |
| Family: | Urticaceae |
| Genus: | Boehmeria |
| Species: | B. nivea
|
| Binomial name | |
| Boehmeria nivea | |
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.
Ramie is one of the oldest fibre crops, used for at least six thousand years. It is mainly used for fabric production. Ramie is normally harvested two to three times a year but under good growing conditions can be harvested up to six times per year.[1] Unlike other fibre crops, ramie needs chemical processing to de-gum the fibre.
Producers
[change | change source]China leads in the production of ramie and exports mainly to Japan and Europe. Other producers include Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Brazil.[2] Only a small percentage of the ramie produced is available on the international market. Japan, Germany, France and the UK are the main importers, the remaining supply is used domestically.[1]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Beda Ricklin Swicofil AG Textile Services. "Swicofil". Swicofil. Retrieved 2013-11-09.
- ↑ "Britannica Online". Britannica.com. Retrieved 2013-11-09.