Hemp Botanical Features

Hemp, botanically known as Cannabis sativa L., is a versatile plant with a rich history and numerous industrial, nutritional, and medicinal applications. Understanding its key botanical features is essential for cultivation and processing.

Hemp belongs to the Cannabaceae family. It is an annual plant, meaning it completes its life cycle within one growing season.

The stem of the hemp plant is one of its most valuable components, as it contains the fibers used for various industrial applications.

• Structure: Erect, hollow, and slightly ridged.
• Fiber Types: The stem is composed of two main types of fibers:
  • Bast Fibers: Long, strong, and located in the outer layer (phloem). These are used for textiles, rope, and composite materials.
  • Hurd (or Shives): The woody, inner core of the stem. These are used for animal bedding, construction materials (hempcrete), and mulch.

Hemp leaves are instantly recognizable and are a characteristic feature of the plant.

• Structure: Palmate, meaning they are divided into multiple leaflets radiating from a single point.
• Leaflets: Typically contain 5 to 11 serrated (toothed) leaflets, though the number can vary by age and variety.
• Arrangement: Leaves are usually arranged oppositely on the lower parts of the stem and alternately towards the top.

Hemp is typically a dioecious plant, meaning it has separate male and female plants, though monoecious (having both male and female flowers on the same plant) varieties exist. The flowers are small and lack showy petals.

• Female Flowers (Pistillate):
  • Cluster together, usually in the axils of the leaves near the top of the plant.
  • Contain small, sticky bracts (calyxes) that enclose the seed-producing ovules.
  • These flowers are the primary source of cannabinoids and resin.
• Male Flowers (Staminate):
  • Grow on slender, branching panicles.
  • Produce pollen, which is dispersed by the wind.
  • Male plants generally die off after releasing pollen.

Hemp seeds (often called "hemp hearts" when shelled) are highly nutritious and do not contain significant levels of cannabinoids.