Today’s Diminutive Yet Truly Morbid Fact!
The diminutive stinging tree has been called the most feared tree in Australia. It reaches about seven feet in height and produces tempting clusters of red fruit that resemble raspberries. Every inch is covered with fine silicon hairs that resemble peach fuzz and contain a virulent neurotoxin. Simply brushing up against the plant results in unbearable pain that may last up to a year. In some cases, the shock of the pain can be so great that it brings on a heart attack.
The hairs themselves are so tiny that they easily penetrate the skin and are almost impossible to pull out. The silicon does not break down in the bloodstream, and the toxin itself is surprisingly strong and stable. In fact, it remains active even in old, dry specimens of the plant. The pain can be reactivated for months afterward by extreme hot or cold, or simply by touching the skin. Even walking through the forest where stinging trees are present can pose a threat. The tree sheds its fine hairs constantly, and passersby run the risk of inhaling them or getting them in the eyes.
A soldier remembers being stung by the tree during his training in 1941. He fell right into the plant, coming into full body contact with it. He was tied to his hospital bed for three weeks in pure agony. Another officer was stung so badly that he committed suicide to get away from the pain. Humans are not the only ones affected–newspaper accounts from the nineteenth century include reports of horses dying from the sting. Anyone walking through the Australian rain forest would be well advised to keep an eye out for this plant. It can easily penetrate most kinds of protective clothing. A common treatment is the application of a hair removal wax strip, which will pull out the plant’s fine hairs along with your own. Experts recommend a shot of whisky before attempting this treatment.
Culled from: Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln’s Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities
Generously submitted by: Aimee
Rather a nondescript looking thing, isn’t it? You’d think the plant would at least have the decency to be bright red or something!
That sounds brutal yet amazing. Sometimes I wonder how anything at all can survive in Australia, some of their wildlife seems so extreme.
I used to read nature books about the scariest creatures I could think of when I was little, usually about sharks and snakes and spiders. this gives me the same kind of shivery fear.
This is the sort of plant that makes burning down forests sound like a good idea.
@Wendy Blackheart
@Wendy Blackheart
Oh no, Wendy! Think of what would happen if the trees were burned and their spines got into the air and were carried far and wide!
A shot of whiskey before waxing? Wimps!!
As somebody who has her eyebrows waxed regularly, I only wish I could take a shot of whiskey before each time. Perhaps several shots.@Magnoire La Chouette