A family of about 52 genera and 1900 species; 11 genera occur naturally in Australia.

Boehmeria - A genus of about 50-100 species, pantropic; two species occur naturally in Australia. Chew (1989).

Cecropia - A genus of about 25 species native to tropical America. One species introduced to Australia. Queensland Govt (2008)

Dendrocnide - A genus of about 37 species in Asia, Malesia and the Pacific islands; about six species occur naturally in Australia. Chew (1969b, 1989); Jackes & Hurley (1997).

Elatostema - A genus of 200 species from the Old World tropics; 2 species occur naturally in Australia.

Laportea - A genus of about 22 species mainly in Africa and Madagascar with a few pantropic species; one species occurs naturally in Australia. Chew (1989).

Nothocnide - A genus of about five species in Malesia and some of the islands of the south west Pacific; one species occurs naturally in Australia. Chew (1969a, 1989).

Pipturus - A genus of 40 species in the Mascarenes, Asia, Malesia, Australia and the Pacific islands; one species occurs naturally in Australia. Chew (1989).

Pouzolzia - A genus of about 70 species, pantropic; two species occur naturally in Australia. Chew (1989).

Procris - A genus of ca. 20 species from the warm-temperate and tropical regions of the Old World; 1 species occurs naturally in Australia.

Urtica - A genus of about 100 species, cosmopolitan; one species occurs naturally in Australia and one species has become naturalised. Chew (1989).

Berg, C. & Rosselli, P.F. (2005). Cecropia. Flora Neotropica; monograph 94.

Chew, W.-L. (1969a). Nothocnide (Urticaceae) in Malesia. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 24:361-373.

Chew, W.-L. (1969b). A monograph of Dendrocnide (Urticaceae). Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 25:1-104.

Chew, W.-L. (1989). Urticaceae. In 'Flora of Australia.' Vol. 3, (Australian Government Publishing Service: Canberra.), pp. 68-93, 190.

Jackes, B.R. & Hurley, M. (1997). A new combination in Dendrocnide (Urticaceae) in north Queensland. Austrobaileya 5:121-123.

Qld Govt. (2008). Cecropia. Pest Plant Risk Assessment. Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.

Smith, L.S. (1959). New species of and notes on Queensland plants-IV. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 70:27-32.