わが国の本州から四国・九州、それにアジア南部に広く分布しています。人里に多くに生えていることから、古い時代に繊維を採るために栽培したものが野生化したと考えられています。和名は、茎(から)を蒸し(むし)て皮をはいだことから。葉の裏は白い細毛が密生していて銀白色です。7月から10月ごろ、淡緑色の目立たない花穂をつけます。別名で「くさまお(草苧麻)」とも呼ばれ、中国語では「伏毛苧麻(fu mao zhu ma)」と呼ばれます。
The "Kara-mushi" (Boehmeria nipononivea) belongs to Urticaceae (the Nettle family). It is a perennial herb that is distributed widely from Honshu to Shikoku, Kyushu of Japan and southern Asia. This herb grows in wet places near town, and it is thought that escaped from the caltivated areas in the ancient days. The fiber was made from the stems. The reverse side of leaves are silvery white because of the dence white minute hairs. The inconspicuous pale green flower-clusters come in July to October. The Japanese name "kara-mushi" comes from the stem (kara), which is steamed (mushi) and peeled. In Chinese, it is called "伏毛苧麻" (fu mao zhu ma).