Australia Scientists: Stinging Trees Contain 'Scorpion-like Venom'

Burnt tree logs are seen in the fire-grounds near Batemans Bay, Australia January 8, 2020. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis
Burnt tree logs are seen in the fire-grounds near Batemans Bay, Australia January 8, 2020. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis
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Australia Scientists: Stinging Trees Contain 'Scorpion-like Venom'

Burnt tree logs are seen in the fire-grounds near Batemans Bay, Australia January 8, 2020. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis
Burnt tree logs are seen in the fire-grounds near Batemans Bay, Australia January 8, 2020. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

Australia is notorious for its venomous 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, delivers a sting far more potent than similar plants found in the US or Europe.

The tree, which has broad oval- or heart-shaped leaves, is primarily found in rainforest areas of northeast Queensland, where it is notorious among hikers.

A team of Australian scientists say they now better understand why the gympie-gympie's sting haunts those unlucky enough to brush up against its leaves.

Victims report an initial sting that "feels like fire at first, then subsides over hours to a pain reminiscent of having the affected body part caught in a slammed car door", the University of Queensland researchers said Thursday.

In the final, drawn-out stages, simply taking a shower can reignite the pain, AFP reported.

Though the gympie-gympie is covered in fine needle-like hairs similar to other nettles, previous testing for common irritants such as histamines came up empty.

Irina Vetter, an associate professor at the University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience, said the research team discovered a new class of neurotoxin miniproteins, which they christened 'gympietides'.

"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," she said.

Australia is already infamous for its venomous fauna including snakes, box jellyfish, blue-ringed octopus and funnel-web spiders, although deaths in humans from bites or stings are rare.

Vetter said the long-lasting pain inflicted by the tree may be explained by the gympietides permanently altering the chemical makeup of the affected sensory neurons -- not due to the fine hairs getting stuck in the skin.

The scientists hope their research, published in peer-reviewed journal Sciences Advances, will eventually help lead to better pain relief treatment for people who have been stung.



French Bikers Race to Buy Harleys before Possible Tariffs

 The logo of American motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson is seen at an Harley-Davidson dealership in Paris, France, April 8, 2025. (Reuters)
The logo of American motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson is seen at an Harley-Davidson dealership in Paris, France, April 8, 2025. (Reuters)
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French Bikers Race to Buy Harleys before Possible Tariffs

 The logo of American motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson is seen at an Harley-Davidson dealership in Paris, France, April 8, 2025. (Reuters)
The logo of American motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson is seen at an Harley-Davidson dealership in Paris, France, April 8, 2025. (Reuters)

Sales are brisk at the Villiers-Sur-Marne Harley-Davidson dealership outside Paris, where French bikers reckon they had better hurry if they want the American motorcycle of their dreams before trade war puts them out of reach.

"It's now or never," said 55-year-old carpenter Stephane Roger as he inspected the gleaming machines. He had been thinking about buying a Harley anyway, he said. But when he heard the news of US President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs, he figured he had better hurry.

Motorcycles were on a list of American goods due to be hit by EU tariffs announced this week in response to Trump. After Trump rowed back on some of his tariffs, the EU suspended its levies but said they could still kick in if negotiations fail.

"Yeah, I think it's time to buy a Harley," said Theo Mottet, a 30-year-old French soldier. If tariffs put the price up, it will no longer be possible for regular people to own one, he said. "It's going to be an elitist pleasure."

Jean-Luc Peschel, a 65-year-old retired musician in a leather blazer and a red necktie, said Harleys conjured up images of Americana that had been swirling around in his head since childhood.

"I'm an old man," he said. "Harley-Davidson rocked my childhood. American films make you dream, and so I think there are people who need to dream today."