Dendrocnide | |
---|---|
Dendrocnide stimulans | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Rosales |
Family: | Urticaceae |
Tribe: | Urticeae |
Genus: | Dendrocnide Miq. [1] |
Type species | |
Dendrocnide costata Miq. | |
Species | |
Dendrocnide is a genus of approximately 40 species [lower-alpha 1] of plants in the nettle family Urticaceae . They have a wide distribution across North East India, Southeast Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands. In Australia they are commonly known as stinging trees. [2] [1]
Plants in this genus are evergreen shrubs or small trees, with the exception of the aptly-named giant stinging tree (D. excelsa) which may reach 35 m (115 ft) in height. [3] Dendrocnide species have a sympodial growth habit and are armed with fine needle-like stinging hairs. They are generally fast-growing and produce soft wood, and are usually found in areas of disturbed forest where they fill the role of a pioneer species. [1] [4] [5] [6]
The leaves are simple, alternate, and petiolate, (i.e. having long petioles or leaf-stems), and the leaf blade may be either entire or have some form of dentate toothing (notches or teeth on the edges of the leaf). The leaves are also often large, and may be either leathery or papery. The stipules are fused and deciduous, leaving conspicuous scars on the twigs after falling. [1] [4] [5]
The inflorescences are axillary and pedunculate, flowers are either solitary or in racemes or panicles. Male flowers may be 4- or 5-merous and the female flowers are 4-merous. Most species are dioecious, a small number are monoecious. [1] [4] [5]
Fruits are an achene, often compressed, and may be eclosed within the swollen pedicel. [1] [4] [5]
The genus Dendrocnide was raised in 1851 by the Dutch physician, botanist, and taxonomist Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel (1811–1871) who dedicated a large part of his life to describing specimens of the flora of the Dutch East Indies which were sent to him by his many contacts. [7] This genus was first published in the work Plantae Junghuhnianae , in which he described three species, namely D. peltata, D. costata (the original type species that is now known as D. stimulans) and D. coerulea. [8] [2]
The name of this genus comes from Ancient Greek déndron (tree), and knī́dē (nettle), referring to the large size of most species in this genus. [9] [6] FR
The following list shows all 41 species recognised by Plants of the World Online as of 25 June 2024 [update] , and a brief summary of its distribution. [2]
In addition to the above, World Flora Online accepts Dendrocnide vitiensis (Seem.) Chew, [5] and Global Biodiversity Information Facility accepts D. vitiensis and Dendrocnide moroidea (Wedd.) Chew. [18]
Alyxia is an Australasian genus of flowering plant in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae. It contains at present 106 species, but Alyxia stellata and A. tisserantii are very variable, might be cryptic species complexes, and are need of further study. It consists of shrubby, climbing or scrambling plants. This genus occurs in China, the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Caledonia and the Pacific Islands. There are 14 species in Australia, 21 in New Caledonia and 7 in the other Pacific Islands, including Hawaiʻi.
Antidesma is a genus of tropical plant in the family Phyllanthaceae formally described by Linnaeus in 1753. It is native to tropical Africa, S + E + SE Asia, Australia, and various oceanic islands. The greatest diversity occurs in Southeast Asia.
Canarium is a genus of about 120 species of tropical and subtropical trees, in the family Burseraceae. They grow naturally across tropical Africa, south and southeast Asia, Indochina, Malesia, Australia and western Pacific Islands; including from southern Nigeria east to Madagascar, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and India; from Burma, Malaysia and Thailand through the Malay Peninsula and Vietnam to south China, Taiwan and the Philippines; through Borneo, Indonesia, Timor and New Guinea, through to the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Palau.
Dendrocnide moroides, commonly known in Australia as the 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 common name gympie-gympie comes from the language of the indigenous Gubbi Gubbi people of south-eastern Queensland.
Ochrosia is a genus of flowering plants, first described in 1789. It is in the family Apocynaceae, native to Southeast Asia, Australia, and various islands of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Didymocheton is a genus of flowering plants in the family Meliaceae. It includes 41 species which range from eastern India through Indochina and southern China to Malesia, Papuasia, eastern Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific.
Ectrosia is a genus of Asian, Australian, and Pacific Island plants in the grass family.
Vrydagzynea, commonly called tonsil orchids, is a genus of orchids in the tribe Cranichideae. About forty five species of Vrydagzynea have been formally described. They are native to India, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Malesia, Melanesia and Polynesia. A single species in Australia is possibly extinct. They have thinly textured, stalked leaves and small, dull-coloured resupinate flowers with the dorsal sepal and petals overlapping to form a hood over the column.
Thelasis, commonly known as fly orchids, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are usually epiphytes, sometimes lithophytes or rarely terrestrials. Some species have pseudobulbs with up to three leaves, whilst others have several leaves in two ranks. A large number of small, white or greenish yellow flowers are borne on a thin, arching flowering stem. There are about thirty species, distributed from tropical and subtropical Asia to the southwest Pacific.
Peristylus, sometimes commonly known as ogre orchids or bog orchids is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It consists of over 100 known species found across much of eastern and southern Asia as well as in Australia and on many islands of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Anisomeles is a genus of herbs of the family Lamiaceae and is native to China, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Australia, Madagascar, and some Pacific and Indian Ocean islands. Plants in the genus Anisomeles have small, flat, narrow elliptic to narrow e.g.-shaped leaves arranged in opposite pairs, the edges of the leaves sometimes wavy or serrated. The flowers are arranged in groups, with five sepals and five petals in two "lips", the lower lip with three lobes, the middle lobe much longer than the side lobes. There are four stamens that extend beyond the petals and a single style in a depression on top of the ovary. The fruit is a schizocarp with four nutlets containing small seeds.
Poikilospermum is a genus of shrubs or tall woody climbers, consisting of at least 33 accepted species. The plants are found from India and China (Yunnan), the Sino-Himalayan region to Sulawesi and Jawa in Indonesia. Some of the plants are used by people.
Chisocheton is a genus of trees in the family Meliaceae. The genus name comes from the Greek schizos and chiton meaning "split tunic", referring to the lobed staminal tube of C. patens. Their range is from India and tropical China, throughout Malesia and south to New South Wales and Vanuatu.
Rhomboda, commonly known as velvet jewel orchids, is a genus of about twenty species of flowering plants in the orchid family Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are mostly terrestrial herbs with a fleshy, creeping rhizome and a loose rosette of green to maroon coloured leaves. Small resupinate or partly resupinate, dull coloured flowers are borne on a hairy flowering stem. The dorsal sepal and petals overlap and form a hood over the column and there is a deep pouch at the base of the labellum. They are found in tropical regions from northern India through Southeast Asia, China, Japan to Australia and some Pacific Islands.
Maoutia is a genus of shrubs or small trees in the nettle family (Urticaceae).
Gonocaryum is a genus of plants in the family Cardiopteridaceae described as a genus in 1861.
Didymocheton gaudichaudianus, commonly known as ivory mahogany, is a species of rainforest tree in the family Meliaceae, native to Malesia, Papuasia, Queensland, and some southwest Pacific islands.
Symplocos cochinchinensis is a species of flowering plant in the sapphire-berry family Symplocaceae, native to tropical and subtropical Asia. The widespread Symplocos cochinchinensis subsp./var. laurina is now considered a synonym of Symplocos acuminata.
Dendrocnide cordata, the stinger, is a species of flowering plant in the nettle family Urticaceae, native to the Bismarck Archipelago, the Lesser Sunda Islands, New Guinea, and Queensland. It is a rainforest tree reaching 10 m (33 ft), with irritating hairs on its large leaves.
Dysoxylum acutangulum is a species of flowering plant in the mahogany family, Meliaceae. It is a tree native to Peninsular Thailand, Malesia, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, and the Northern Territory and Queensland in Australia.