Recently, there was a growing awareness in our country about the importance of Himalayan nettle (Girardinia diversifolia) because it is found to be a sustainable source of

Answer: (d) textile fibre

Himalayan nettle (allo) gives a strong, soft fibre woven into fabric in Uttarakhand and Nepal — a sustainable textile source.

The idea

The stem of the Himalayan nettle contains long, strong fibres. Hill communities have long spun it into thread. It grows wild on mountain slopes without irrigation, fertiliser or pesticide, which is why it is called a sustainable fibre.

Wild nettle stems are cut → Bark is stripped and boiled → Fibre is beaten, spun and woven → Cloth, bags and ropes → Income for hill villages

Why the others are wrong

(a) Anti-malarials come from cinchona (quinine) and Artemisia (artemisinin).

The trap

“sustainable source” here means fibre.

Also know

Other natural plant fibres: jute, cotton, flax (linen), hemp, ramie, coir and banana fibre. The plant is called a nettle because its hairs sting the skin.