Common name: Giant Stinging Tree
Dendrocnide excelsa (Wedd.) Chew APNI* 
Description: Tree to 40 m with fluted trunks; stinging hairs cause an intense persistent sting.
Leaves with lamina broad-ovate, usually 10–25 cm long, 7–20 cm wide, deeply cordate at base often with the two lobes overlapping, margins regularly toothed to almost entire on exposed leaves, usually covered with stinging hairs, especially the larger juvenile leaves; petiole mostly 5–15 cm long.
Inflorescences unisexual, panicles to 12 cm long.
Achene c. 2 mm long, warty, pedicel to 5 mm long and very fleshy.
Flowering: summer, fruit matures autumn, whitish, pink to purplish.
Distribution and occurrence: In warmer rainforest on the coast and ranges north from Bega, common in disturbed areas where it establishes very quickly; also as a smaller tree in drier rainforest in gullies in Hunter Valley and Liverpool Ra.
NSW subdivisions: NC, CC, SC, NT, CT, NWS, CWS
Other Australian states: Qld
Text by G. J. Harden
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 1 (1990)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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