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Ongaonga (tree)
Encyclopedia
Urtica ferox, commonly known as Ongaonga, is a nettle
that is endemic
to New Zealand
. Sometimes known as the 'tree nettle', ongaonga has woody stems and unusually large stinging spines, and can grow 5 metres tall. Even the lightest touch can result in a painful sting that lasts several days.
In Maori folklore
, Kupe
was said to have placed several obstacles to hinder pursuers whose wives he had stolen, one of which was the ongaonga.
Ongaonga is the main food plant for larvae of the New Zealand red admiral
butterfly or Kahukura
, Bassaris gonerilla.
There has been one recorded human death from contact—a lightly clad hunter who died five hours after walking through a dense patch. Acute polyneuropathy
can occur due to U. ferox stings.
Nettle
Nettles constitute between 24 and 39 species of flowering plants of the genus Urtica in the family Urticaceae, with a cosmopolitan though mainly temperate distribution. They are mostly herbaceous perennial plants, but some are annual and a few are shrubby...
that is endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Sometimes known as the 'tree nettle', ongaonga has woody stems and unusually large stinging spines, and can grow 5 metres tall. Even the lightest touch can result in a painful sting that lasts several days.
In Maori folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
, Kupe
Kupe
In the Māori mythology of some tribes, Kupe was involved in the Polynesian discovery of New Zealand.-Contention:There is contention concerning the status of Kupe. The contention turns on the authenticity of later versions of the legends, the so-called 'orthodox' versions closely associated with S....
was said to have placed several obstacles to hinder pursuers whose wives he had stolen, one of which was the ongaonga.
Ongaonga is the main food plant for larvae of the New Zealand red admiral
New Zealand Red Admiral
The New Zealand Red Admiral is a butterfly that is endemic to New Zealand. The Māori name is kahukura which means red cloak. The Red Admiral is a member of the family Nymphalidae, the sub-family Nymphalinae as well as the tribe Nymphalini.There are two sub-species of Vanessa gonerilla, V. g...
butterfly or Kahukura
New Zealand Red Admiral
The New Zealand Red Admiral is a butterfly that is endemic to New Zealand. The Māori name is kahukura which means red cloak. The Red Admiral is a member of the family Nymphalidae, the sub-family Nymphalinae as well as the tribe Nymphalini.There are two sub-species of Vanessa gonerilla, V. g...
, Bassaris gonerilla.
There has been one recorded human death from contact—a lightly clad hunter who died five hours after walking through a dense patch. Acute polyneuropathy
Polyneuropathy
Polyneuropathy is a neurological disorder that occurs when many peripheral nerves throughout the body malfunction simultaneously. It may be acute and appear without warning, or chronic and develop gradually over a longer period of time. Many polyneuropathies have both motor and sensory...
can occur due to U. ferox stings.