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Plants\Trees
Stinging Tree
Photo: Courtesy of Damon Ramsey
BSc.(Zool) Biologist Guide
Stinging Tree or Stinging Bush: Dendrocnide moroides
This plant prefers more open and sunny parts of the tropical
rainforest, so is therefore common along tracks, rainforest edges and gaps. It is a member of the family Urticaceae.
The leaves and stems are covered in
thick hairs that, if touched, inflict a painful sting. These hairs are
manufactured from mineral silica, the chief constituent of glass. If you
brush against them, their tips penetrate the skin, break off, and release an
irritant poison. The effect of this sting may last for months.
There is no effective antidote known
for the stinging tree, so visitors must always be aware of these plants.
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It is either a single stemmed herb with stems up to 5cm wide, or
a sparingly branched shrub which stands 1-5 metres high. The leaves are large and broad,
consisting of an oval or heart-shaped blade that can grow up to 30cm long and 22cm wide.
The leaf stalk is usually 5-15cm long.
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Male and female flowers are on separate plants. They have very
small flowers gathered in open bunches called panicles in the forks of leaves.
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The caterpillars of white nymph butterflies as well
as several stick insects, a weevil and a chrisomelid beetle (in the ladybird
family) eat the leaves of the common stinging tree. Green possums eat the
leaves of the shiny-leafed stinging tree. (Source:
Environmental Protection Agency)
Additional Information:
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Considered the most dangerous plant in the
Daintree, the dreaded 'Stinging Bush', or 'Gympie-gympie' belongs to the
family Urticaceae, which contains other stinging nettles of the northern
hemisphere.
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The plant produces a cluster of watery red
fruits just underneath the terminal leaves. The poisonous hairs also extend
along the reddish stems and cover these red fruits.
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Large specimens can be seen in the Daintree lowlands such as
along Jindalba and Kulki boardwalks, and it is a common plant on the sides of
roads and clearing throughout the Atherton Tablelands.
Script: Courtesy of Damon Ramsey BSc.(Zool) Biologist Guide
Additional Photograph
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