Dendrocnide cordifolia

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 (like many others in the family) results in a painful sting, however the intensity and duration of the pain from this plant is extreme.

Stinging tree
Young plant
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Urticaceae
Genus: Dendrocnide
Species:
D. cordifolia
Binomial name
Dendrocnide cordifolia
Synonyms[4][5]

Laportea cordifolia L.S.Sm.

Description

D. cordifolia is a straggly perennial shrub growing up to 10 m (33 ft) high, and the entire plant is covered with stinging hairs.[4][6] It has large cordate leaves measuring up to 25 cm (9.8 in) long by 22 cm (8.7 in) wide, with toothed margins and petioles (leaf stems) almost as long as the leaf blade itself.[6]

The inflorescences are up to 6 cm (2.4 in) long and bisexual, i.e. consisting of both staminate (functionally male) and pistillate (functionally female) flowers.[7] The flowers are quite small, about 1.5–2 mm (0.06–0.08 in) wide.

The fruit are achenes about 1.5 mm (0.059 in) long. They are partly surrounded by a white, globular, fleshy body derived from the swollen pedicel and is somewhat similar in appearance a small white raspberry.[6]

Taxonomy

This species was first described as Laportea cordifolia in 1959 by the Australian botanist Lindsay Stuart Smith and was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland His description was based on a specimen he collected in 1957 near Atherton, Queensland.[8] In 1969 the Singaporean botanist Wee-Lek Chew, in his paper titled Laportia and Allied Genera, merged L. cordifolia with Dendrocnide cordata and for almost 30 years that remained the status quo. However, in 1997, the Australian botanists Betsy Jackes and Marina Hurley showed that there were errors in Chew's work, and published a paper in Austrobaileya which reinstated L. cordifolia as a distinct species, but under the new combination that remains today, i.e. Dendrocnide cordifolia.[7][9]

Etymology

The genus name Dendrocnide is derived from the Ancient Greek words déndron, meaning "tree", and knídē, meaning "stinging needle". The species epithet cordifolia is a Latin word derived from cor (heart) and folium (leaf), which is a reference to the heart-shaped leaves of this species.

Distribution and habitat

D. cordifolia is restricted to a small part of north-eastern Queensland, specifically the Atherton Tableland and nearby areas, at elevations from 100 to 1,200 m (330 to 3,940 ft).[4] It grows as an understory plant in disturbed areas of rainforest, such as treefalls, creek margins, roadsides, and man-made clearings.[4]

Conservation

This species is listed by the Queensland Department of Environment and Science as least concern.[1] As of 28 March 2021, it has not been assessed by the IUCN.

Toxicity

D. cordifolia produces intense pain when a person comes into contact with any part of the plant, very similar to the more well-known and closely related D. moriodes. A detailed discussion of the toxicity of both of these plants can be found in the D. moroides article.

References
  1. "Species profile—Dendrocnide cordifolia". Queensland Department of Environment and Science. Queensland Government. 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  2. "Dendrocnide cordifolia". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI). Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  3. "Dendrocnide cordifolia". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2021. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  4. F.A.Zich; B.P.M.Hyland; T.Whiffen; R.A.Kerrigan (2020). "Dendrocnide cordifolia". Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants Edition 8 (RFK8). Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research (CANBR), Australian Government. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  5. "Dendrocnide cordifolia". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  6. Messina, A. (2021). "Dendrocnide cordifolia". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  7. Bean, A.R. (2019). "Dendrocnide cordata (Warb. ex H.J.P.Winkl.) Chew (Urticaceae) is not present in Australia" (PDF). Austrobaileya. 10 (3): 541–544. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  8. "Laportea cordifolia". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
  9. Jackes, B.R.; Hurley, M. (1997). "A new combination in Dendrocnide (Urticaceae) in north Queensland". Austrobaileya. 5 (1): 121–123. JSTOR 41729927. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
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