Dendrocnide

Dendrocnide is a genus of 37 species of shrubs to large trees in the nettle family Urticaceae. They have a wide distribution across Southeast Asia, North East India, Australia and the Pacific Islands.[1][2]

Dendrocnide
Dendrocnide meyeniana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Rosales
Family:	Urticaceae
Tribe:	Urticeae
Genus:	Dendrocnide
Species
37 species

They are colloquially known as stinging trees,[3] stinging nettles or nettle trees. One Australian species, Dendrocnide excelsa (giant stinging tree), can grow to over 40 metres in height, but the dangerous Dendrocnide moroides (gympie-gympie) is only shrub-size.

In Vanuatu, where Dendrocnide species are known by the Bislama name nanggalat[4] or under commonly used alternative spelling nangalat,[5] they have various customary uses, including the whipping of those found guilty of breaking taboos. The pain caused by merely touching the nanggalat is no worse than the sting of a common European nettle, but far more persistent, returning whenever the affected area of skin is touched by water or rubbed, an effect that may last for days. The peptides responsible (gympietides) have been isolated; they are miniproteins 4 kilodaltons in size with three disulphide bonds [6]

Dendrocnide species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including Aenetus scotti.

Selected species

• Dendrocnide corallodesme
• Dendrocnide cordata
• Dendrocnide excelsa, giant stinging tree
• Dendrocnide meyeniana, lipa tree
• Dendrocnide moroides, gympie gympie
• Dendrocnide peltata
• Dendrocnide photinophylla, shiny-leaved stinging tree
• Dendrocnide sinuata

References

1. "Dendrocnide". ABRS Flora of Australia Online. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 21 October 2020. Data derived from Flora of Australia volume 50 (1993), a product of ABRS, Commonwealth of Australia
2. "Dendrocnide Miq". Atlas of Living Australia.
3. "The Australian Plant Names Index".
4. T. Crowley, A New Bislama Dictionary, p. 335
5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-08-27. Retrieved 2014-08-27.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Vanuatu Daily Post
6. "Neurotoxic peptides from the venom of the giant Australian stinging tree". ScienceAdvances. AAAS. Retrieved 19 October 2020.

Further reading

• Stewart, Amy (2009). Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities. Etchings by Briony Morrow-Cribbs. Illustrations by Jonathon Rosen. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. ISBN 978-1-56512-683-1.