The name `urtica` is the same root word as the medical term for hives (urticaria), which refers to the skin reaction caused by contact with this plant. The stiff hairs on the stem contain a small drop of formic acid which is extremely irritating to the skin, but the irritation is short lived. The young growth of the plant is an excellent cooked green (much like spinach), and the older stems have historically been used as a fiber source for ropes and clothing.