Gen info
- Urticaceae is a family of flowering plants in the nettle family. The family name derives from the genus Urtica and includes about 2,625 species, group into 53 genera. The largest genera are Pilea (500-715 species), Elatostema (300), Urtica (80), and Cecropia (75 species), (12)
- Dendrocnide is a genus of approximately 40 species of plants in the nettle family Urticaceae. They are widely distributed across North East India, Southeast Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. In Australia they are called stinging trees.
- Taxonomy: The genus Dendrocnide was raised in 1851 by Dutch physician, botanist, and taxonomist Friedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel (1811-1871). The original type species is Dendrocnide costata, now known as Dendrocnide stimulans. (4)
- Etymology: The genus name Dendrocnide derives from Ancient Greek dendron (tree) and knide (nettle), referring to the large size of most of the species in the genus.   (4)

Botany
• A dioecious tree up to 7 m tall, branches rather widespread, bark light grey, lenticellate, twigs without irritant hairs. Leaves elliptical to obovate, (12-)15-30(-40) cm × (4-)6-10(-14) cm, base cuneate, rounded or emarginate, apex acuminate, margin usually entire, irritant hairs present, petiole (2-)5-10(-15) cm long, irritant hairs present, stipules 0.8-2 cm long, pubescent when young. Raceme branched, usually solitary, 10-55 cm long, bracteolate, with 2-10-flowered fascicles. Male flowers sessile, 1-2 mm long, slightly pubescent, filaments reflexed, female flowers sessile, slightly sunken in a row of fleshy receptacles, stigma ligulate to 5 mm long. Achene asymmetrical, 2-4 mm × 2-4 mm, flattened, smooth to warty, perianth persistent, stigma persistent. (3)

Distribution
- Native to the Philippines.
- Also native to Borneo, China Southeast, Hainan, Jawa, Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Malaya, Maluku, Myanmar, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam. (1)
- In primary and secondary forest on sandy and loamy soils, from sea-level up to 1200 m altitude. (3)

Constituents
- Phytochemical screening of crude extracts yielded flavonoids, phenolics, alkaloids, and terpenoids.

Properties
- Use of poultice of leaves and twigs of various Dendrocnides as analgesic is attributed to the irritating hairs.
- Dendrocnide sp. fruits are aggregated, large, fleshy, and drupaceous; generally edible but some species (ex. D. excelsa) possess stinging hairs on fruits in addition to stems and leaves that protects against fruit-eating animals. (11)
- Studies have suggested anticancer, antimicrobial, antioxidant, analgesic properties.

Toxicity / Stinging from exposure
- Upon contact with Dendocnide sp, the tips penetrate the skin, break off, and release irritant toxins. Hairs are so tiny that the skin will often close over the hairs, making removal difficult if not impossible. It can cause intense pain, piloerection, arteriolar dilation, and local sweating. Pain intensifies and peaks in 20 to 30 minutes, and can last for days or months. Pain can be transferred to other areas of the body. Air-borne stinging hairs can cause intense bouts of sneezing. Deaths of horses and dogs have been reported. A single human death was reported in 1922 in New Guinea, after a sting of Laportea condata.
- For removal of stinging hairs, some Australians used hair removal wax strips.
- Study reports on two cases of Dendrocnide contact. One case was a 49-yr old man vacationing on the island of Mindoro, Philippines, possibly from D. meyeniana or Dendrocnide stimulans, which grows in the Philippines. (11)

Parts used
Leaves, branches, roots.

Uses
Edibility
- No reports found on edibility.
Folkloric
- No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
- In Java, sap is drunk for cough relief. In Sumatra, decoction of roots and leaves drunk as anthelmintic. and for constipation and yellow eyes. In Peninsular Malaysia, leaves and roots commonly used for poulticing. (3)
- In Bali, Indonesia, nettle leaves are ingredient of loloh, an herbal drink to prevent or treat various health problems. Nettle plants like D. stimulans are used to prepare loloh for treatment of heartburn, fever, diarrhea, hypertension, among others. (5)
- Paste of sapling roots applied on sores. Poultice of roots used to reduce gum pain.
- In the Mollucas and Papua, itchy leaves are used topically to relieve aches, fatigue, headaches, stomach aches, joint and muscle aches, and bruises. Leaves are rubbed on painful areas, which is followed by a stinging, numbness, and an anesthetic sensation.
- Herbal tea from leaves sometimes used as remedy to counteract the irritation caused by hairs. (10)
Others
- Hair wash: Sap sometimes used as hair wash. (3)
- Rope: Bark occasionally used to make rope.
- Fuel: Soft wood only suitable for firewood.

Studies
• Anticancer / Antioxidant / Antibacterial / ß-sitosterol / Leaves and Branches: Study of evaluated ethanol extract of dried and ground leaves and branches for anti-lung cancer (NCI-H187 ), anti-HSV-1, antioxidant (DPPH) and antimicrobial activity (K. pneumonia, P. aeruginosa, E. coli, C. albicans, and A. baumannii). Ethanol extract of leaves showed anti-lung cancer activity at 50 mg/ml with inhibition % of 99.49, along with moderate cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity. Compound 1, ß-sitosterol, was isolated from ethyl acetate leaves extract. (6)
• Antibacterial / Root: An aqueous suspension of root of D. stimulans showed strong inhibitory activity against Staphylococcus aureus in vitro.
• Antioxidant Activity: In another study, L. stimulans extract showed weak DPPH radical scavenging activity with IC50 of 522.45 µg/ml, n-hexane fraction with IC50 469.95 µg/ml, ethyl acetate fraction with IC50 469.95 µg/ml. A water fraction showed IC50 105.55 µg/ml.

Availability
- Wild-crafted.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Dendrocnide stimulans / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(2)
Dendrocnide stimulans / Co's Digital Flora of the Philippines
(3)
Dendrocnide stimulans / PROSEA
(4)
Dendrocnide / Wikipedia
(5)
Healing capacities of nettles: Dendrocnide, Girardinia, Laportea, and Urtica / Wani Devita Gunardi, Susana Elya Sudradjat, Kris Herawan Timotius et al / Phytomedicine Plus, 2023; 3(2): 100438 /
DOI: 10.1016/j.phyplu.2023.100438
(6)
Isolated Compound and Its Biological Activities from Dendrocnide stimulans / Butsarakham Singchai, Rattana Jantawe / Burupha Science Journal, 2020; 25(1)
(7)
Addition reading: Detailed botanical description: Descriptions of the Malayan species of Laportea / Betty Molesworth Allen / NParksGove
(8)
The Phytosociology of Tree Communities on Two Mounts in Bedugul Highland Tropical Forest, Bali, Indonesia / Muhammad Bima Atmaja, Sutomo, Nida Humaida, Eko Pujino et al / MEDIA KONSERVASI, 2024; 30(2): PP 213-221
(9)
Uncover Itchy Leaves Ethnomedicine Usage: A Preliminary Study on Characterization and Bioactivity of Laportea Spp / Lukman La Basy, Djoko Santosa, Retno Murwanti, Triana Hertiani / Pharmacogn J, 2022; 14(4): pp 286-295 / DOI: 10.5530/pj.com/v14/i3
(10)
Dendrocnide Miq / PROSEA
(11)
Painful Sting After Exposure to Dendrocnide sp: Two Case Reports / Corinne Schmitt, Pharm D; Philippe Parola, MD PhD, Luc de Haro, MD PhD et al / Wilderness & Environmental Medicine, 2013; 24(4) /
DOI: 10.1016/j.wem.2013.03.021
(12)
Urticaceae / Wikipedia

DOI: It is not uncommon for links on studies/sources to change. Copying and pasting the information on the search window or using the DOI (if available) will often redirect to the new link page. (Citing and Using a (DOI) Digital Object Identifier)