But scientists hope the fearsome plant could be used to treat pain, not just cause it. Ironically, this native stinging nettle may contain a new treatment for chronic pain associated with diseases such as diabetes, leprosy, Guillain-Barré syndrome and other autoimmune diseases. Two gun dogs presented with a combination of neuromuscular and autonomic signs following suspected exposure to stinging nettles ( Urtica dioica ) in the UK. It is sometimes known as "Taraonga", "Taraongaonga" or "Okaoka". He quickly went online and found a number of alarming stories, only to discover later that Urtica ferox (ongaonga) was listed as one of the top ten for poison control emergency calls, but that it was relatively harmless. exacerbates the sting. Photo: RNZ / Sonia Sly. Natural History in Canterbury Habitats One typical habitat for The tree nettle is temperate bush (Wardle, 1991). It was that prolonged numbness that triggered the idea for further research, and that’s when he contacted his colleague, Parry. The Dominion Post He knew he’d been stung by a nettle, but he didn’t know how serious it was. DO NOT TOUCH EVER!!! “I was sticking myself with a little pin,” says Professor Gareth Parry from a small room at the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT). • Ongaonga (Urtica ferox) Description-Commonly known as ongaonga or New Zealand tree nettle, Urtica ferox is a native species of stinging nettle. Some regrowth ocurred. Contact with Onga Onga can result in extensive red rashes and blisters, and there are records of people dying in New Zealand after stumbling into dense thickets. An iwi and polytech in Nelson are collaborating on research into the deadly native nettle ongaonga, which might hold secrets to new drugs Eric Buenz’s daughter is teething right now – so he jokes, perhaps a little wearily, that the powerful ongaonga he’s studying might help her pain and her parent’s sleep if he rubbed a bit on her gums. Ongaonga, or the native New Zealand tree nettle, is covered in spines that deliver a painful sting. There is also a 5 percent fatality rate and those aged over 70 are the most vulnerable. Ongaonga – Releases the Sting & Pain of Feeling All is Against You Nikau Palm – Revitalising & Infuses More Light. Spraying with suitable herbicides is probably the best option and so three areas have been sprayed with different treatments to ascertain the effect. Ongaonga or New Zealand tree nettle is covered in spines that deliver a painful sting when someone brushes against them. “It’s known to bind to the little pain fibres in the skin and can produce improvement in pain,” he says. 1B).These are covered with white stinging hairs (trichomes) consisting of hollow cylinders with tapered point (Figs. Unlike other herbaceous species in the genus Urtica, ongaonga is a large woody shrub.It has woody stems and unusually large stinging spines that can result in a painful sting that lasts several days. Stings from all types of stinging trees are treated in the same manner. Also known as Ongaonga or tree nettle. Tree Nettle (Ongaonga) Known as Ongaonga by the native Mãori, Urtica ferox or tree nettle is a largely woody shrub is covered in nettles that inject anything that rubs against them with poison. Some of these chemicals are toxic to humans or animals. Tree tutu and ongaonga or tree nettle are the only New Zealand native plants known to have killed humans by poisoning. “We have the highest incidence of an infection with a little bug called Campylobachter jejuni.”. Add being stabbed with glass shards to the description of the gympie's sting. Conclusion. Tutu. I got quite badly stung along my right forearm. The leaves are remarkably bitter and the infusion is used as a tonic; a weak decoction is also used by females who have lost their infants, to stop the secretion of milk (Taylor 1855)'... called by the natives koa-koa. Hemon Dey explains how images of seamonkeys immersed in ongaonga or stinging nettle extract are captured over time. But scientists hope the fearsome plant could be used to treat pain, not just cause it. Ongaonga is not all bad news. New Zealand has one of the highest rates of Guillain-Barré Syndrome in the developed world, but why? Photo: CC BY-NC 2.0 Jon Sullivan. Professor Eric Buenz was on a hunting expedition after arriving in New Zealand from the United States. Ongaonga (Urtica ferox) is a New Zealand tree nettle. Lowly (but sufficient) Wikipedia tells us that the stings of Urtica ferox, the ongaonga or tree nettle of New Zealand, have killed horses, dogs and at least one human, owing to a toxic cocktail of formic acid, serotonin and histamine secreted by nettle hairs. Also, different people have different reactions to the sting, much like the range of effects of bee stings. Skin contact with the hairs is very painful. “I was thinking, what’s happening to my hand ... it’s going numb.”, Hemon Dey explains how images of seamonkeys immersed in ongaonga or stinging nettle extract are captured over time. Ongaonga stings can be fatal, especially to horses and dogs, but humans have also been affected. Ongaonga stings can be fatal, especially to horses and dogs, but humans have also been affected. This treatment was developed in the 1990’s by Dr.Hugh Spencer of the Australian Tropical Research Foundation (AUSTROP) and has since been used by many people including tour operators in tropical rainforest areas. On the 21st November 2005 regrowth along the Totara loop track was sprayed with Versatil. Physical cutting of bushes even at ground level results in strong regrowth. 1A) and narrow serrated leaves up to 12 cm long (Fig. Ongaonga is not all bad news. The stinging nettle is the main food plant for native red admiral butterflies. If ongonga can be administered in graduated doses it might inhibit pain without the terrible side effects of other pain medications. Whau – Shifts Despair, Brings a Ray of Sunshine. Parry, along with Research Professor Eric Buenz, had been harvesting ongaonga, the native New Zealand stinging nettle or tree nettle, when a single white spine penetrated Parry’s glove. Parry is a leading world expert on Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and was also responsible for the discovery of an autoimmune disease similar to GBS - multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN). The pain was, he says, akin to having his hand set alight. Te Mata Peak trust members will clear the weed near public paths. All the spraying has been done in the 1ha block of remnant bush in the Picnic paddock. Dogs needed veterinary treatment for ongaonga stings, otherwise they could be fatal. Urtica Ferox Fierce Nettle Ongaonga Seeds Packet of 100+ seeds of this very angry and very dangerous plant. A species of stinging nettle, Urtica ferox, is indigenous to New Zealand (Conner, 1977).Known as “Ongaonga” in the Maori language, it is a spreading shrub with woody branches up to 2 m or more in height (Fig. Nettle is the common name for any of between 30-45 species of flowering plants of the genus Urtica in the family Urticaceae, with a cosmopolitan though mainly temperate distribution. Stiff, hypodermic needle-like hairs adorn the plant’s flowers and branches as well as the veins, stalks and edges of the deeply jagged leaves. You can heat them with a flame until they glow red, but they will still hold their shape. One botanist colleague has had a lucky escape, only just managing to stumble out of the bush in time. He had shot an animal and went to pick it up. Buenz laughs when he recalls being told that nothing could kill you in the New Zealand bush. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: , for easy access to all your favourite programmes, Podcast (MP3) Symptoms of GBS includes severe weakness, loss of motor skills, and paralysis which starts in the extremities and ascends the limbs. Plants and fungi make a wide array of chemicals to ward off bacteria, other fungi, insects and browsing mammals, and to protect their patch from competitors. In 40 percent of cases patients can experience acute, long-lasting pain. Native plant identification - Page 7 Before you go into the outdoors, tell someone your plans and leave a date to raise the alarm if you haven't returned. Depilatory Wax Treatment. Tordon plots showed a good kill but sites are invaded by thistles. The active ingredient in Tordon is Picloram. The small tree tutu (Coriaria arborea) is found throughout the country, especially on bush margins and alongside streams.Except for its swollen petals, all parts of … Pua o te Rēinga - return of the Flower of the Underworld, Wahakura - a woven cradle to save babies' lives. “You can’t feel anything,” says Buenz. One botanist colleague has had a lucky escape, only just managing to stumble out of the bush in time. “I had this fascinating stinging sensation,” he says of accidentally plunging his hand into an ongaonga plant. After the initial painful sting, my hand went numb. Minor stings can last for hours to days with increased heart rate and sweating. The long term recurring nature of a D. moroides and cordata sting is due to the silica hypodermic hairs remaining below the skin level until the body can physically repel them out of the skin, this can take months. Parry and Buenz hope their work with ongaonga could lead to a pain treatment for sufferers of GBS. The research into ongaonga came as a bit of a happy accident. The Tordon treatment. If you would like more information about the Foundation: Physical cutting of the shrubs with a long handled saw. It is endemic to New Zealand. Â. “It’s because New Zealanders are a slovenly bunch,” laughs Parry. It's sting is painful - don't touch its leaves. Professors Gareth Parry and Eric Buenz are conducting pain research that had its beginnings in self experimentation. Treatment Self-care for nettle stings. The New Zealand Urtica ferox (ongaonga or tree nettle, shown below in an image from Trek Nature) is a shrub of up to five metres in height that produces a strong enough sting to sometimes be fatal. Te Mata Peak trust members will clear the weed near public paths. Parataniwha – Growth in Darkness, Light at End of Tunnel Yellow Whakatu Senecio – Transforms ‘Greyness’. Area 2 is at the Western edge of the bush and was sprayed with Grazon at a rate of 3ml per litre of water on 13th January 2005. Photo: RNZ / Sonia Sly. Several bushes have been cut at ground level to ascertain the effect and whether it kills the plants. Once you get a sting all you need to do is mash up some kawakawa leaves and rub it on to the sting site, takes away about 3/4 of the pain almost instantly. wikipedia.org, nzpcn.org.nz, Oratia Native Plant Nursery, Flora of … We help thousands of people make informed, evidence-based decisions on how to care for skin conditions, by providing reliable information at the click of a button. It is a perennial growing up to 5m high. Even without the kawakawa you usually can't feel the remnant of the sting for more than a couple of days, depending on how much you get. The pair are hoping that ongaonga might yield a similar, but more effective result than capsaicin. After the intense pain subsided, he experienced days of numbness. Ongaonga is responsible for several dog deaths Originally Posted by Pengy I discovered the delights of Ongaonga a couple of years ago in Pureora. If no water is available, clean the area with a cloth or other available material; Local symptoms of pain and itching can be relieved by applying a moistened cloth and/or ice pack to the area. One of the problems with GBS is residual weakness and issues with stamina that persist long after recovery. This is a foodborne illness that can be contracted via chicken and other meats, but also non-meat sources. I must stress first of all this is one purely for responsible collectors due to it's dangerous, potentially fatal natural attributes. Dogs needed veterinary treatment for ongaonga stings, otherwise they could be fatal. He describes the pain as a tingling, fiery sensation that lasted about 30 to 60 seconds, followed by numbness. Some people hook a bee sting out and carry on with no problems, others die within 5 minutes of being stung. Parry says there is a known therapeutic called capsaicin - derived from the chilli pepper - which is currently being used to treat pain. Extreme reactions can lead to "loss of motor movement, paralysis, drop in blood pressure, convulsions, blurred vision and confusion" (Wikipedia). “One in 1500 people will end up with GBS,” says Parry. Each hair is around 6mm in length. Fairfax Media The temperate broadleaf bush in lowland areas, where Urtica ferox can be found, includes stock-damaged bush, scrubland and forest margins (Allan, 1982; It’s important to try not to touch the rash for the first 10 minutes after receiving the sting. But their challenge is to isolate the molecule, or family of molecules, responsible for producing this effect. This may be practical for scattered bushes but would be difficult to achieve in dense thickets. Area 1 is at the Eastern edge of the bush and was sprayed with Tordon brush killer in a knapsack sprayer at a rate of 6ml per litre of water. They write about the self-experimentation that has led to the research, in a new paper published in the sought-after Christmas edition of the medical journal BMJ, which “celebrates light-hearted but rigorous research.”, Ongaonga or New Zealand tree nettle is covered in spines that deliver a painful sting when someone brushes against them. A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. The sting is caused by formic acid and other chemicals present as a tiny drop at the end of the hairs. DermNet is the world’s free resource and authority on all things skin. Area 3 is on the Southern edge of the bush and was sprayed with Grazon at a rate of 6ml per litre (the standard rate for most brushweeds) on 13th January 2005. More Joy Titoki – Positivity to Over-ride Negativity. Friends called an ambulance when they found him numb, partly paralysed, and disoriented. New Zealand’s native tree nettle, Ongaonga, may be seen along the Paparoa Track in the Pororari Valley. Like GBS, MMN causes weakness and affects the nerves. Six weeks after spraying the Versatil treated plants are showing some wilting but are still active. Friends called an ambulance when they found him numb, partly paralysed, and disoriented. “An infecting organism has a molecule on its outer coat that closely resembles a molecule in the nerve and the immune system is stimulated to attack the invading organism,” says Parry. been a good growing year for ongaonga, and what geographic part of the country it was. The stinging nettle is the main food plant for native red admiral butterflies. The active chemicals in Grazon are Triclopyr and Picloram. This spraying was done on the 27th December 2004. ... We believe that ongaonga could provide treatment for neuropathic pain. Urtica ferox, commonly known as tree nettle, or ongaonga in Māori, is a nettle that is endemic to New Zealand. Treatment for a minor "brush" is seldom necessary or effective, but antihistamine will reduce itching and swelling. Immediate treatment. Photo: CC BY-NC 2.0 Jon Sullivan, Subscribe to Our Changing World for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, RadioPublic or wherever you listen to your podcasts. He continued self experimenting for about three days. Professors Gareth Parry and Eric Buenz are conducting pain research that had its beginnings in self experimentation. Ongaonga, or the native New Zealand tree nettle, is covered in spines that deliver a painful sting. It has the advantage over other Admiral host plants of not having a sting, however its small leaves make it less than ideal. MEDICINAL: 'The large leaves of this beautiful tree are extremely bitter, and may be used in the same way as Peruvian bark' (Taylor 1847). Both dogs developed first clinical signs on the same day and had been working in the same area where the presence of stinging nettles had been reported. Tree tutu and ongaonga or tree nettle are the only New Zealand native plants known to have killed humans by poisoning. Parry mapped out where the pain was located on his hand, testing his ability to recognise hot and cold and whether he could feel touch. If you plan on touching it, or They are mostly herbaceous perennial plants, but some are annual and a few are shrubby. Spraying with Grazon at 3ml per litre gave very good control with good growth of ferns and very little regrowth of Onga Onga. Perhaps the defining feature of the Ongaonga in terms of human interaction with the plant is its incredibly powerful and irritable sting. 3) the pain from the stings is not cumalative so a 10ft patch of stingers is the same as a 100ft patch of stingers. Oggcast (Vorbis). Benz and Parry have written about their experience with ongaonga and about self experimenting, in a paper titled 'Adventures in self experimentation', published in the prestigious Christmas edition of the BMJ which “celebrates light-hearted but rigorous research.”. The gympie’s trichomes seem to be silica based, like glass. Wash the area with soap and water as soon as possible to relieve the sting and remove the nettle hairs.

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