Shining-leaved stinging tree | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Rosales |
Family: | Urticaceae |
Genus: | Dendrocnide |
Species: | D. photiniphylla |
Binomial name | |
Dendrocnide photiniphylla | |
Synonyms [4] | |
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Dendrocnide photiniphylla, the shining-leaved stinging tree, is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It occurs from near the Colo River northwest of Sydney to Cooktown in tropical Queensland. A versatile species, it occurs in many different rainforest types. [5] The specific epithet photiniphylla translates to shining leaf. The generic name translates to stinging tree.
This species is known by many common names, including fibrewood, small-leaved nettle, mulberry-leaved stinging tree, and gympie. [6]
Stinging trees are often disliked by bush walkers and nature lovers because of the reaction of human skin to their stinging hairs. However, they are an important member of the ecosystems of Australian rainforests. The sting of this plant is not considered as severe as the related Dendrocnide excelsa or Dendrocnide moroides . However, avoiding the leaves and twigs is strongly recommended.
A medium to large-sized tree up to 30 metres tall, its stem diameter is up to 75 cm (30 in). The trunk is flanged or buttressed. The grey bark is fairly smooth, but with some bumps, lines and ridges. Its small branches are smooth and grey, with green at the ends.
The leaves are glossy with erect stinging hairs, particularly on the leaf veins, and are elliptic in shape, 6 to 13 cm (2.4 to 5.1 in) long, and 3 to 8 cm (1.2 to 3.1 in) wide. [7]
Male and female flowers sometimes on separate trees, appearing yellowish green from November to June on small panicles from the leaf axils. The fruit are unevenly shaped nuts or achenes, resembling a mass of white grubs; they mature from January to March. The fruit would be edible for humans if not for the stinging hairs; they are eaten by many rainforest birds, including the regent bowerbird and the Torresian crow.
Indigenous Australians used the fibres to make nets and bags.
Athertonia is a monotypic genus of plants in the family Proteaceae. The sole described species is Athertonia diversifolia, commonly known as Atherton oak, athertonia, creamy silky oak or white oak. It is endemic to a small part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland, Australia. A relative of the macadamia, it has potential in horticulture and the bushfood industry.
Dendrocnide is a genus of approximately 40 species 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.
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 common name gympie-gympie comes from the language of the Indigenous Gubbi Gubbi people of south-eastern Queensland.
Neolitsea dealbata, also known as white bolly gum, hairy-leaved bolly gum, or simply bolly gum, is a shrub or small tree in the laurel family Lauraceae which is native to New South Wales and Queensland in Australia.
Cardwellia is a monotypic genus in the plant family Proteaceae. The sole described species is Cardwellia sublimis − commonly known as northern silky oak, bull oak or lacewood − which is endemic to the rainforests of northeastern Queensland, Australia.
Calamus australis, commonly known as wait-a-while, hairy mary or lawyer cane, is a plant in the palm family Arecaceae which is endemic to the rainforests of north east Queensland, Australia. Like other species in the genus Calamus, this is a climbing plant with a very long and flexible stem. It uses sharp strong hooks on the fronds and tendrils to attach itself to other vegetation, such as taller established trees, thus gaining support that enables it to grow higher towards the canopy. This species is very similar to C. radicalis, with which it coexists, but is smaller in almost all respects.
Dendrocnide excelsa, commonly known as the giant stinging tree or fibrewood, is a rainforest tree in the family Urticaceae which is endemic to eastern Australia. It occurs from Tathra, New South Wales to Imbil in southeastern Queensland, and is very common at Dorrigo National Park and other rainforest walks in eastern Australia. The habitat of the giant stinging tree is subtropical, warm temperate or littoral rainforest, particularly in disturbed areas, previously flattened by storms or cyclones.
Elaeocarpus bancroftii, commonly known as Kuranda quandong, Johnstone River almond, ebony heart, grey nut, or nut tree is a large rainforest tree in the family Elaeocarpaceae which is endemic to Queensland. It has coriaceous leaves, attractive white flowers and relatively large fruit containing an edible kernel.
Cryptocarya triplinervis is a rainforest tree growing in eastern Australia. Common names include the three veined laurel, three veined cryptocarya and the brown laurel.
Atractocarpus chartaceus, commonly known as the narrow-leaved gardenia, is a species of evergreen flowering plant in the madder and coffee family Rubiaceae. It is mostly found in subtropical rainforest of eastern Australia, and it is cultivated for its fragrant flowers and colourful fruit.
Pseudoweinmannia lachnocarpa is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. Common names include rose marara, mararie, scrub rosewood and red carabeen. The species name lachnocarpa is from the Greek, referring to the "woolly fruit". The genus name refers to the similarity of another genus, Weinmannia, after the German eighteenth century pharmacist J.W. Weinmann.
Petalostigma triloculare, known as the long-leaved bitter bark is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It occurs in the drier rainforests, often on sandy soil derived from granite or sandstone, and is sometimes seen on old sand dunes.
Pleioluma queenslandica, the blush condoo, is a large rainforest tree of the family Sapotaceae native to eastern Australia. It is found in sea side rainforest as well as the drier inland rainforests. From as far south as the Richmond River, New South Wales to Coen in tropical Queensland, and as far west as Melville Island, Northern Territory.
Dysoxylum arborescens, commonly known in Australia as Mossman mahogany, is a small tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is native to rainforests of Malesia, Papuasia, Queensland and nearby islands.
Dysoxylum gaudichaudianum, commonly known as ivory mahogany, is a species of rainforest tree in the family Meliaceae, native to Malesia, Queensland, and some southwest Pacific islands.
Harpullia alata, common name -winged tulip or wing-leaved tulip, is a tree in the family Sapindaceae, endemic to eastern Australia, and found from Brisbane, Queensland to Grafton, New South Wales.
Dendrocnide cordifolia, commonly known as the stinging tree, is a plant in the nettle family Urticaceae endemic to the Atherton Tablelands, south west of Cairns, Queensland. Contact with the plant results in a painful sting, however the intensity and duration of the pain from this plant is extreme.
Pittosporum ferrugineum, commonly known as the rusty pittosporum or rusty-leaved pittosporum, is an evergreen plant in the family Pittosporaceae native to Malesia, Papuasia, the Northern Territory and Queensland.
Lasianthus chlorocarpus, commonly known as blue rubi, is a plant in the family Rubiaceae native to parts of Malesia, Papuasia and Australia. It is an evergreen shrub growing up to 2 m high in well developed rainforest.
Polyosma hirsuta, commonly known as hairy polyosma, is a plant in the family Escalloniaceae which is endemic to northeastern Queensland, Australia. It is an evergreen small tree growing up to 10 m (33 ft) high. The leaves may be 6 to 14 cm long and 2 to 5 cm wide, often with toothed margins and each tooth exhibiting a short stiff spine. Most parts of the plant, including the twigs, leaves and fruit, are clothed in fine pale brown hairs.