Here is something for the amateur botanists among us: Dendrocnide moroides aka the "Queensland Stinger"
The Dendrocnide moroides, commonly known in Australia as the suicide plant, stinging tree, stinging bush, or gympie-gympie, is a plant in the nettle family Urticaceae found in rainforest areas of Malesia and Australia. It is notorious for its extremely painful and long-lasting sting.
The plant is covered with hollow, hair-like, stinging needles that contain a powerful neurotoxin that causes excruciating pain. The extreme itching is so painful that it has been known to kill dogs and horses, and to even drive humans mad with agony. The gympie-gympie’s active compound, moroidin, is so persistent that it has been known to torture its victims for over a year if its stinging hairs are not removed from the skin. Even dry specimens, preserved for many decades, can still retain their powerful sting.
The first thing you’ll feel is a really intense burning sensation and this grows over the next half hour, becoming more and more painful. Shortly after this, your joints may ache, and you might get swelling under your armpits, which can be almost as painful as the original sting. In severe cases, this can lead to shock, and even death.
So yes, this plant is indeed dangerous for humans. It’s always best to avoid contact with. If contact does occur, it’s important to remove the stinging hairs from the skin as soon as possible to alleviate the symptoms.
That sounds like a nasty little b******. 😱🤣
#Australia #Plant
