‘Gympie-Gympie’ is hardly the name you’d expect for a stinging-tree.
It looks quite harmless too, but in reality, the Gympie-Gympie is one of
the most venomous plants in the world. Commonly found in the rainforest
areas of north-eastern Australia, the Moluccas and Indonesia, it is
known to grow up to one to two meters in height.
In fact, the Gympie-Gympie sting is so dangerous that it has been
known to kill dogs, horses and humans alike. If you’re lucky enough to
survive, you only feel excruciating pain that can last several months
and reoccur for years. Even a dry specimen can inflict pain, almost a
hundred years after being picked!
With the exception of its roots, every single part of the deadly tree
– its heart shaped leaves, its stem and its pink/purple fruit – is
covered with tiny stinging hairs shaped like hypodermic needles. You
only need to lightly touch the plant to get stung, after which the hair
penetrates the body and releases a painful toxin called moroidin.
Sometimes, merely being in the presence of the plant and breathing the
hair that it sheds into the air can cause itching, rashes, sneezing and
terrible nosebleeds.
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