Dendrocnide Excelsa
Family: Urticaceae
The giant stinging tree grows in the rainforests of coastal Queensland and New South Wales. It prefers to grow in drier areas of rainforests, especially in clear or disturbed areas of forest. It can grow to up to 40 metres high and has a trunk of nearly 4.5metres in diameter. The bark is light in colour, however the leaves are covered with hair (and the stem of young trees) and when touched causes immediate pain which lasts for many hours. The young trees grow rapidly until they become giant trees. The wood is very soft and if a tree is felled it will rot away within two years!
The leaves of the tree are heart shaped and usually have large gaping holes in them caused by beetles. The leaves are covered in dense hairs which the tree uses to sting it predators. Each tiny silicon hair, each one holds poison and on touch they break off and inject the venom. The plant uses a neuro-toxin and remains poisonous for years on end. Believe it or not there are only male flowers or female flowers on a giant stinging tree.
The giant stinging tree grows in rainforests. An advantage of growing here is that the soil is fertile and the climate is warm. The poison is a useful feature which allows the plant to repel potential predators leaving them to grow larger and wider.
The tree is in danger of rainforest clearance. This is because as the tree only grows in rainforest areas the destruction of them will make the areas that they are distributed smaller and smaller.
The government could begin to gradually stop the felling of rainforests by large companies and farmers. They could simply grow forests which are harvested for wood.
