“GYMPIE GYMPIE’ is hardly the name you’d expect for a stinging-plant. It looks quite
harmless too, but in reality, the Gympie-Gympie is one of the most venomous plants in the world. Commonly found in the rainforest areas of northeastern Australia, the Moluccas and Indonesia, it is known to grow up to one to two meters in height.
In fact, its sting is so dangerous that it has been known to kill dogs, horses and humans
alike. If you’re lucky enough to survive, you only feel excruciating pain that can last several
months and reoccur for years.
Even a dry specimen can inflict pain, almost a hundred years after being picked! The actual
chemicals contained in the venom are not completely understood, though Hugh, who is a scientist, thinks it could possibly be a peptide called moroidin, coating of the hairs may be
responsible for the intensity of the pain.
