View source for Urtica ferox

{{Taxobox
| image = Ongaonga close-up.jpg
| image_caption = ''Urtica ferox'' leaves and spines
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Rosales]]
| familia = [[Urticaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Urtica]]''
| species = '''''U. ferox'''''
| binomial = ''Urtica ferox''
| binomial_authority =
}}

'''''Urtica ferox''''', commonly known as '''Ongaonga''', is a [[nettle]] that is [[endemic (ecology)|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&mdash;a lightly clad hunter who died five hours after walking through a dense patch.<ref>[http://www.teara.govt.nz/TheBush/NativePlantsAndFungi/PoisonousPlantsAndFungi/1/en ''Poisonous native plants''], [http://www.teara.govt.nz/TheBush/NativePlantsAndFungi/PoisonousPlantsAndFungi/en Poisonous Plants and Fungi], [[Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand]]</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of poisonous plants]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book
 | last = Connor
 | first = H. E.
 | title = Poisonous Plants in New Zealand (DSIR Research Bulletin 99)
 | origyear = 1952
 | edition = 2nd edition
 | year = 1977
 | publisher = Government Printer
 | location = Wellington
 | id = {{Listed Invalid ISBN|0-477-01007}}
}}
*{{cite book
 | last = Crowe
 | first = Andrew
 | date = 1999-09-07
 | title = Which Native Forest Plant?
 | publisher = Penguin
 | location = New Zealand
 | isbn = 0-14-028631-4
}}
*{{cite book
 | last = Hutching
 | first = Gerald
 | year = 1998
 | title = | publisher = Viking (Penguin)
 | location = New Zealand
 | isbn = 0-670-87782-4
}}

[[Category:Trees of New Zealand]]
[[Category:Poisonous plants]]
[[Category:Urticaceae]]


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{{kiwi-stub}}
{{tree-stub}}

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[[es:Urtica ferox]]
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[[ro:Ongaonga]]
[[ru:Онгаонга]]
[[Category:2Fix]]