Australians might be surprised to hear that many visiting travellers perceive the country as dangerous … a landscape teeming with deadly snakes and spiders and surrounded by crocodiles, sharks and jellyfish, but what of its floral dangers?
Gympie Gympie (Dendrocnide moroides) is arguably the world’s most painful plant. Covered with hypodermic hairs on its leaves and stems, it can inject poison that causes extreme pain.
It grows most virulently in damaged rainforest along Australia’s north-east coast. Its seeds remain dormant in the soil beneath a dark understory, until germinated by exposure to intensified sunlight, such as when a rainforest tree collapses. It is found most frequently as a single-stemmed plant, 1-2 metres high. Its large, long-stalked, alternate leaves are broadly heart-shaped (∼30 x 22 cm) with serrated margins. The central vein stops short of the periphery, terminating with the stalk attachment, on the underside of the leaf. Its mulberry-like, bright pink to purple fruits are borne upon axillary stalks on female plants.
Contact with human skin can cause extreme pain, starting as a rapidly intensifying burning sensation. The pain may persist for days, but upon exposure to cold air, water or when rubbed, the pain can be reinvigorated for up to two months or more, beyond the original sting.
This reminds me of the story of American explorer David Fairchild, who was in a forest in the Philippines and experienced first hand a cousin of this plant-- a species in the genus Laportea. Same nettle family, same principle. He described the pain as tremendous, whereupon his guide said "You should see the really nasty one!" He also mentions one of these having very attractive leaves with orange veins.
Besides nettle relatives, in the New World we have the genus Cnidoscolus in the Euphorbia family. One is called "mala mujer" (bad woman) and they certainly rival your gympie gympie. The actionable prickles are literally little hypodermic needles with irritant *under pressure* ready to go at a light brush. My favorite is C. egregia.
Neil,
I had been watching custard heads eating native indigo [Indigo australis] seeds and gave it a try. After about a year of enjoying random chewings I was told they were poisonous but they tasted ok.
Answer Motty - they're purple too after having been kicked by greens, browns, managerial types and Feds.
Woodie,
I,ve never known or heard of anyone who was immune.
There is a plant that always seems to grow nearby called cunjevoi [which is also said to be poisonous] which is supposed to have been used by wood cutters as an antidote.
I think it is more of a placebo for when you're desperate.
Ian,
I think the Dendrocnide in SEQ is the excelsa and it is the giant stinging tree but you get all of these young suckers when a hole appears in the canopy. The young ones seem to be the worst stingers.
I don't know the difference between the excelsa and the moroides but they are both referred to as Gympie Gympie.
That is an interesting plant, and I have never heard of it before. It would be a candidate for herbicide treatment if it grew in my neighborhood. I have a hard enough time getting rid of poison ivy, which isn't as bad. I'm curious if this plant affects everyone the same way or if some people are immune to its effects, like many are with poison ivy.