If you would like to support this site, please consider Donating.
Useful Tropical Plants

Dendrocnide photinophylla

(Kunth) Chew

Urticaceae

+ Synonyms

Fleurya photinophylla Kunth

Laportea photinophylla (Kunth) Wedd.

Urera leichardiana Wedd.

Urticastrum photinophyllum (Kunth) Kuntze

Common Name:

Dendrocnide photinophylla
Seedling plant with stinging leaves
Photograph by: Mark Marathon
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Dendrocnide photinophylla Dendrocnide photinophylla Dendrocnide photinophylla Dendrocnide photinophylla Dendrocnide photinophylla Dendrocnide photinophylla Dendrocnide photinophylla Dendrocnide photinophylla Dendrocnide photinophylla Dendrocnide photinophylla

General Information

Dendrocnide photinophylla is an evergreen shrub or tree, usually growing up to 25 metres tall, exceptionally to 40 metres[
286
Title
Flora of Australia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource.
,
694
Title
Australian Rainforest Plants Volumes 1 - 6
Publication
 
Author
Nicholson N. & H.
Publisher
Terania Rainforest Publishing; New South Wales.
Year
2007
ISBN
9-78095894-3628
Description
Beautiful set of booklets with a terse description of over 600 species and their habitat, often including some of their uses and notes on their cultivation, plus at least one, excellent photograph.
,
993
Title
The Gardens' Bulletin Vol. 25
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/Default.aspx
Publisher
Botanic Gardens; Singapore
Year
1969
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical journal - this issue includes a treatment of the genera Dendrocnide and Laportea. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as food and also as a source of fibre[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
].

Known Hazards

The trees, especially when young, have stinging hairs. The sting can be intensely painful and the pain can recur, with reducing intensity, over a period of several weeks[
144
Title
Wild Food in Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
Publisher
Fontana
Year
1976
ISBN
0-00-634436-4
Description
A very good pocket guide.
]. Although significant, this is the least aggressive of the Australian stinging trees and the effect is much shorter lasting[
694
Title
Australian Rainforest Plants Volumes 1 - 6
Publication
 
Author
Nicholson N. & H.
Publisher
Terania Rainforest Publishing; New South Wales.
Year
2007
ISBN
9-78095894-3628
Description
Beautiful set of booklets with a terse description of over 600 species and their habitat, often including some of their uses and notes on their cultivation, plus at least one, excellent photograph.
,
713
Title
Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/rfk/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online resource giving botanical information, and a little bit about plant usage, for over 2,700 species of plants found in the Australian rainforest.
].

Botanical References

993
Title
The Gardens' Bulletin Vol. 25
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/Default.aspx
Publisher
Botanic Gardens; Singapore
Year
1969
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical journal - this issue includes a treatment of the genera Dendrocnide and Laportea. It can be downloaded from the Internet.

Range

Australia - New South Wales, Queensland.

Habitat

Dense rainforest, sometimes in deep sand[
286
Title
Flora of Australia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource.
]. Grows in well developed rain forest, but is probably more common in drier, more seasonal rain forest at elevations up to 800 metres[
713
Title
Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/rfk/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online resource giving botanical information, and a little bit about plant usage, for over 2,700 species of plants found in the Australian rainforest.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *  *
Other Uses Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Tree
Height20.00 m
Growth RateFast
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details

Found in tropical and subtropical areas in the wild[
286
Title
Flora of Australia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/abrs/abif/flora/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
The full information from the Flora of Australia - on-line. An excellent resource.
].
Plants in this genus are essentially lowland primary forest species preferring slightly moist and somewhat shady habitats[
310
Title
Plant Resources of Southeast Asia
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://proseanet.org/
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
].
A fast-growing tree[
694
Title
Australian Rainforest Plants Volumes 1 - 6
Publication
 
Author
Nicholson N. & H.
Publisher
Terania Rainforest Publishing; New South Wales.
Year
2007
ISBN
9-78095894-3628
Description
Beautiful set of booklets with a terse description of over 600 species and their habitat, often including some of their uses and notes on their cultivation, plus at least one, excellent photograph.
].
A dioecious species, both male and female forms need to be grown if fruit and seed are required[
993
Title
The Gardens' Bulletin Vol. 25
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/Default.aspx
Publisher
Botanic Gardens; Singapore
Year
1969
ISBN
 
Description
A botanical journal - this issue includes a treatment of the genera Dendrocnide and Laportea. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[
144
Title
Wild Food in Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
Publisher
Fontana
Year
1976
ISBN
0-00-634436-4
Description
A very good pocket guide.
]. Very enjoyable, the fruits have a crisp texture and an acid flavour[
144
Title
Wild Food in Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
Publisher
Fontana
Year
1976
ISBN
0-00-634436-4
Description
A very good pocket guide.
,
694
Title
Australian Rainforest Plants Volumes 1 - 6
Publication
 
Author
Nicholson N. & H.
Publisher
Terania Rainforest Publishing; New South Wales.
Year
2007
ISBN
9-78095894-3628
Description
Beautiful set of booklets with a terse description of over 600 species and their habitat, often including some of their uses and notes on their cultivation, plus at least one, excellent photograph.
]. The fruits usually have at least some stinging hairs on them - these need to be removed before eating the fruit[
144
Title
Wild Food in Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
Publisher
Fontana
Year
1976
ISBN
0-00-634436-4
Description
A very good pocket guide.
]. This can be done quite easily by tossing a number of fruits together in a bag, thus abrading the hairs[
144
Title
Wild Food in Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
Publisher
Fontana
Year
1976
ISBN
0-00-634436-4
Description
A very good pocket guide.
]. The fruits are produced in small clusters which can fall to the ground when ripe[
144
Title
Wild Food in Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Cribb. A. B. and J. W.
Publisher
Fontana
Year
1976
ISBN
0-00-634436-4
Description
A very good pocket guide.
].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

The inner bark yields a good quality fibre that can be used for cordage, nets, bags etc[
46
Title
Dictionary of Economic Plants.
Publication
 
Author
Uphof. J. C. Th.
Publisher
Weinheim
Year
1959
ISBN
-
Description
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
601
Title
The Useful Native Plants of Australia.
Publication
 
Author
Maiden J.H.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Turner & Co.; London.
Year
1889
ISBN
 
Description
Terse details of the uses of many Australian plants and other species naturalised, or at least growing, in Australia. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

The wood is extremely soft and light[
713
Title
Australian Tropical Rainforest Plants
Publication
 
Author
 
Website
http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/rfk/index.html
Publisher
 
Year
0
ISBN
 
Description
An online resource giving botanical information, and a little bit about plant usage, for over 2,700 species of plants found in the Australian rainforest.
].

Propagation

Seed - germinates readily[
694
Title
Australian Rainforest Plants Volumes 1 - 6
Publication
 
Author
Nicholson N. & H.
Publisher
Terania Rainforest Publishing; New South Wales.
Year
2007
ISBN
9-78095894-3628
Description
Beautiful set of booklets with a terse description of over 600 species and their habitat, often including some of their uses and notes on their cultivation, plus at least one, excellent photograph.
].
Cuttings root easily[
694
Title
Australian Rainforest Plants Volumes 1 - 6
Publication
 
Author
Nicholson N. & H.
Publisher
Terania Rainforest Publishing; New South Wales.
Year
2007
ISBN
9-78095894-3628
Description
Beautiful set of booklets with a terse description of over 600 species and their habitat, often including some of their uses and notes on their cultivation, plus at least one, excellent photograph.
].
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-28. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Dendrocnide+photinophylla>

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.