Stingers

[Les]

Get out the Dock leaves! These hypo leaf hairs of this nettle leaf are what spoils many a walk in the countryside.

Taken with Nikon 3200DSLR attached to a vintage Vickers microscope via a M42 threaded 21mmfl Celestron astro eyepiece.100ISO 1/30th sec exposure. The sample was lit from both below and above.

[Clicker]

Aha.....so that's what the little blighters look like .... I've been weeding  the garden the last few days  so I have first hand experience of them ! Arghhhh ..

[Fogey]

8 hours ago, Clicker said:

Aha.....so that's what the little blighters look like .... I've been weeding  the garden the last few days  so I have first hand experience of them ! Arghhhh ..

You took the words right out of my mouth, Clicker.  I hate them with a vengeance.

Cracking image from a very unusual set up.  Nicely done, Les.

 

[Les]

The nettle may much maligned but they have many beneficial uses. They can be used to make wine ,soup and tea that are chock  full of vitamins ,in fact weight for weight they contain more vitamin C than oranges and are a great source of iron.

They can be useful in the garden too breaking up and feeding the soil, and can be fermented in water to make a excellent  (albeit a rather smelly fertilizer). The caterpillar of the Peacock Butterfly rely on nettles in the spring

I knew one old woman who rubbed her hands a wrists in stinging nettles to ease arthritis ,she swore by it! 

[Paul]

They look so innocuous...

Paul.

[Clicker]

They do don't they ?

[CMunzel]

Interesting photo. I’ve never seen a close up of nettle before. I appreciate the info you provided as well, Les. 
I’ve cooked nettles a couple of times - like spinach.