i6 3 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



Laportea Crenulata, 



Kuala Kangsar, Perak, 

 Camp, Plus River, 



26th March, 1 go 5. 



Dear Sir, — It may not be well known, and may interest readers 

 of the Agricultural Bulletin to know there is a tree in the Malay 

 States which stings, by name Jelatang (Laportea crenulata) the 

 tree nettle, which grows to a height of about twenty feet. The leaf, 

 which stings only, is about eight inches long, three inches broad, 

 bark of tree smooth and of greyish colour. There are two speci- 

 mens close to where I am camping, and by accident this morning I 

 happened to touch two or three leaves of a young tree with my 

 foot (1 had slippers on only) and in consequence am badly stung. 

 The symptoms are a burning sensation, similar to a nettle sting, no 

 marks of any kind, and the part sweating every few seconds. The 

 sting usually lasts for 3 days or longer. 



Yours truly, 



HAROLD FURNIVALL. 



[ Laportea crenulata is not very uncommon in the Peninsula, 

 generally growing in rocky places. It is common too in many of the 

 Malay Islands, and also in Christmas Island. Pulau Tioman, off the 

 Pahang coast, is quite famous for it. Its powers of stinging vary very 

 much apparently. In some trees, the stinging hairs really hurt but 

 little, in others, the pain is severe and lasts a longtime. The local 

 remedy is to apply chunam, or any powdery form of lime. I was 

 often stung by it in Christmas Island, (where besides this plant grow 

 another species of Laportea, Boehmeria platyphylla, and a Fleurya 

 all stinging plants) and never found the sting much worse than an 

 English nettle. The application of water to the sting, it may be 

 noted, always makes it worse. 



Editor. 



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