LAUSR

The induction of contact dermatitis is a highly effective defence mechanism shown by many plants; it can result from contact with living or damaged plant materials (1), and may occur in the patient immediately, hours after contact, or even only after subsequent exposure. Plants and plant products are divided into several different groups, and, from a clinical perspective, it is important to be able to recognize the plant involved. The stinging nettles constitute one of the five groups, and understanding their mechanism of action helps clinicians to determine the inflammation and pain mechanism in the human skin. The Australian stinging tree (Dendrocnide species), also known in the region of Cairns as Gympie-Gympie or Dendrocnide moroides, is found in tropical and subtropical rainforests in eastern Australia from Cape York down to