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Ramie

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ramie
Scientific classification Edit this 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

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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

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  1. 1.0 1.1 Beda Ricklin Swicofil AG Textile Services. "Swicofil". Swicofil. Retrieved 2013-11-09.
  2. "Britannica Online". Britannica.com. Retrieved 2013-11-09.