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BRISBANE: Australia is known for its poisonous spiders, snakes, and sea creatures, but researchers have now identified “scorpion-like” toxins secreted by a tree that can cause excruciating pain for weeks.
Split-second contact with the dendrocnide tree, a rainforest nettle known by its indigenous name gympie-gympie, produces a much more powerful sting than similar plants found in the United States or Europe.
The tree, which has wide oval or heart-shaped leaves, is found primarily in rainforest areas of northeast Queensland, where it is notorious among hikers.
A team of Australian scientists say they now have a better understanding of why the gypsy bite torments those who are unlucky enough to graze its leaves.
This undated and unplaced brochure photo shows a detailed view of the gympie-gympie bite tree. (Photo: AFP / University of Queensland)
Victims report an initial puncture that “feels like fire at first, then subsides for hours to a pain reminiscent of the affected body part stuck in a car door,” the University of Queensland researchers said. on Thursday (September 17).
In the final and prolonged stages, simply taking a shower can reignite the pain.
Although the gympie-gympie is covered in fine needle-like hairs similar to other nettles, previous tests for common irritants like histamines came back empty.
Irina Vetter, associate professor at the Institute of Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland, said the research team discovered a new class of neurotoxin miniproteins, which they dubbed “gympietides.”
“Although they come from a plant, gympietides are similar to the toxins of spiders and cone snails in the way that they fold into their three-dimensional molecular structures and target the same pain receptors – this arguably causes the gympie-gympie tree is a truly ‘poisonous’ plant. “she said.
This undated, unplaced brochure photo shows a detailed view of the gympie-gympie bite tree. (Image: AFP / University of Queensland)
Australia is already famous for its poisonous wildlife that includes snakes, box jellyfish, blue-ringed octopuses, and funnel-web spiders, although deaths in humans from bites or stings are rare.
Vetter said the prolonged pain inflicted by the tree can be explained by the permanent alteration of the chemical composition of sensory neurons affected by the gympietides, not because the fine hairs get stuck in the skin.
The scientists hope their research, published in the peer-reviewed journal Sciences Advances, will eventually help lead to better pain relief treatment for people who have been bitten.
