A stinging tree from Australia with leaves and stems covered in tiny hairs that cause intense burning pain if touched by skin.
From Gympie, a town in Queensland, Australia where the tree was first scientifically documented in the 19th century; the plant's scientific name is Dendrocnide moroides, derived from Greek 'dendron' (tree) and 'cnide' (stinging cell).
The gympie tree is one of the most painful plants on Earth—people have reported that touching it causes pain lasting for months, and some victims have reported feeling pain when it rains years later because water activates the remaining stinging hairs.
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