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What is Gympie-Gympie? ‘World’s most poisonous plant’ that once drove a man to shoot himself
Reportedly, the plant, covered with hair-like stings, makes people feel they’re “being burnt with hot acid and electrocuted at the same time”.
How poisonous can a plant be? That crown is taken by Gympie-Gympie, an unassuming green plant which can “spark suicidal thoughts.” It is covered with tiny hair-like needles full of poison that can reportedly drive a person to take their own life.
What is Gympie-Gympie?
According to a report by Firstpost in 2022, it is officially called Dendrocnide Moroides but is commonly known as the Australian stinging tree. The tree’s sting is reportedly described as “being burnt with hot acid and electrocuted at the same time”.
Where is the plant found?
It is primarily found in rainforest areas of Australasia, the Moluccas, and Indonesia. It has a leafy bush with a heart-shaped foliage. Though it appears harmless, touching the plant without proper protection can have deadly consequences.
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What makes Gympie-Gympie so dangerous?
The plant has hair-like needles all over its body, filled with powerful neurotoxin. Reportedly, the initial contact causes a burning sensation, which later intensifies, causing excruciating pain.
“Although they come from a plant, the gympietides are similar to spider and cone snail toxins in the way they fold into their 3D molecular structures and target the same pain receptors — this arguably makes the Gympie-Gympie tree a truly ‘venomous’ plant’,” Irina Vetter, an associate professor at the University of Queensland’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience, told Firstpost.
What causes the pain?
Vetter further revealed that the tree toxins target pain receptors like the scorpion or spider venom. The pain reportedly can continue for months, which can leave people without proper sleep. In some cases, the excruciating pain can drive people to take their own lives.
"The plant usually flowers and produces its fruits when it is less than three metres tall, and it could reach up to 10m in height. The stem, branches, petioles, leaves, and fruits are all covered in the stinging hairs and not to be touched." John Knox, the head tour guide at Poison Garden, where the plant is on display, told the Mirror.
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“The tiny brittle hairs, known as trichomes, are loaded with toxins over the entire plant and if touched, stay in the skin for up to a year. And release the toxin cocktail into the body during triggering events such as touching the affected area, contact with water, or temperature changes,” he added.
Dangerous consequences
According to Mirror, an Australian soldier once succumbed to madness after his encounter with the plant during World War two. Another reported incident is of a man who shot himself after being unable to handle the pain caused by the plant’s leaves, which he unintentionally used as toilet paper.
