ongaongan.
/ˈɒŋ(ɡ)əɒŋ(ɡ)ə/, U.S. /ˈɑŋ(ɡ)əˌɑŋ(ɡ)ə/, New Zealand English /ˈoŋʌoŋʌ/, /ˈɒŋ(ɡ)əɒŋ(ɡ)ə/ New Zealand.
The New Zealand tree nettle, Urtica ferox, which has virulent stinging hairs and grows into a shrub of up to 10 feet (3 metres) in height.
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the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > according to family > Urticaceae (nettle and allies) > [noun]
nettleeOE
dock-nettlea1300
Greekish nettlec1450
Roman nettle1578
red nettle1611
ettle1688
urtica1706
bur-nettle1714
pill nettle1714
nettle plant1764
richweed1814
clearweed1822
sting-nettle1822
ongaonga1842
nettlewort1846
urtical1846
jinny1876
1842 R. Taylor Jrnl. 23 Nov. in Dict. N.Z. Eng. (1997) (at cited word) This morning I was showed a real stinging nettle which the natives assured me as it grew turned into a tree & loses its stinging quality the onga onga, which though they affirmed I confess I very much doubt.
1903 Trans. & Proc. N.Z. Inst. 1902 35 111 The ongaonga (nettle shrub) has no leaves now (August).
1924 Otago Witness (Dunedin, N.Z.) 9 Sept. 6 Really bad onga-onga stings provoke feverish sickness.
1988 Pacific Way June 48 It is possible to proceed..but beware of the native tree nettle, ongaonga!
1994 A. H. Grey & A. Sharp Leap into Dark 77 The kernel of the karaka berry, green poroporo berries, tutu and ongaonga or tree nettle are harmful or fatal to humans.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1842