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- Researchers studying an itchy tree from Australia found that it uses a neurotoxin similar to that found in spiders.
- The tree produces a painful sting that can last for days or even weeks.
- An additional study could provide treatment for the sting or even lead to new pain relievers.
One of the great jokes about Australia is that everything on the continent is trying to kill you. They didn’t get that reputation for no reason, and there are indeed a surprising number of creatures there that can kill or seriously injure you if you’re not careful. Now we know of another … and it is a tree.
More specifically, it’s the Gympie-Gympie tree, a plant known as the “itchy tree,” and for good reason. New research reveals that their bite is not only incredibly painful, but it also possesses a neurotoxin that is similar to the venom found in certain spiders and dangerous sea creatures. The research was published in the journal Scientific advances.
The tree is not only found in Australia, but for some reason the versions that can be found growing in Europe and North America do not produce the kind of painful sting that the Australian variant does. The Gympie-Gympie tree is largely covered in what appear to be thin hair-like structures at first, but researchers say they are just the opposite.
“Australian stinging tree species are particularly notorious for producing excruciatingly painful stings, which unlike those of their European and North American relatives can cause symptoms that last for days or weeks,” said Irina Vetter, a co-author of the work, in a statement. . “Like other stinging plants, such as nettles, the giant tree is covered in needle-like appendages called trichomes that are about five millimeters long; trichomes look like fine hairs, but they actually act like hypodermic needles that inject toxins when they come into contact with skin. “
Plants do not normally have “poison”, but the Gympie-Gympie tree is quite different. However, despite its dangerous properties, it could still be useful. For starters, a better understanding of how the toxin works could result in a treatment that could alleviate pain for anyone who accidentally comes into contact with the tree.
In addition to that, research into specific toxins, named “gympietides” after the tree, may prove helpful in developing medications for general pain relief unrelated to an encounter with the plant itself.
“Our results provide an intriguing example of convergent evolution between kingdoms of animal and plant venoms with shared modes of administration, molecular structure, and pharmacology,” the scientists write.
So if you live in Australia and come across one of these plants, keep your distance. Apparently rubbing against one is like being bitten by many poisonous spiders at the same time.
Mike Wehner has reported on technology and video games for the past decade, covering the latest news and trends in virtual reality, wearable devices, smartphones, and future technology. Most recently, Mike served as the technology editor at The Daily Dot, and has been featured in USA Today, Time.com, and in many other print and web media. His love of reporting is second only to his addiction to games.
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