i6 3 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
Laportea Crenulata, 
Kuala Kangsar, Perak, 
Camp, Plus River, 
26th March , 190$, 
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 1 am camping, and by’ accident this morning I 
happened to touch two or three leaves of a young tree with my 
foot (I 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 . 
MISCELLANEOUS. 
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