荨(qián)麻是荨麻属中大约30-45种植物的通用俗称，广泛分布在全球的温带和热带地区。

绝大部分种类为多年生草本植物，也有部分为灌木，或一年生草本植物。叶对生，有齿牙或分裂，有托叶，花单性，穗状花序或圆锥花序，瘦果藏于宿存花被内。

最常见的品种为异株荨麻（Urtica dioica），原生于欧洲、亚洲、非洲和北美洲。此外尚有下表所列的100多种也都被称为“荨麻”，绝大部分种类都有刺毛，蛰人会引起痛苦刺痒，其中生长在新西兰的木荨麻（Urtica ferox）曾经有记载毒刺杀死过马、狗，还曾经杀死过一个人。

Urtica is a genus of flowering plants in the family Urticaceae. Many species have stinging hairs and may be called nettles or stinging nettles, although the latter name applies particularly to Urtica dioica.

Urtica species are food for the caterpillars of numerous Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), such as the tortrix moth Syricoris lacunana and several Nymphalidae, such as Vanessa atalanta, one of the red admiral butterflies.