Lithraea caustica

Litre is evergreen, with oval leaves with a smooth or undulating border. It can grow to be a full tree when undisturbed; It has leathery leaves due to the high levels of lignin and cellulose. It grows large, underground burls from which new growth will emerge after it is cut or burned down; it shares this trait with most of the woody plants in its region. == Toxicology ==

The leaves and branches of litre induces severe dermatitis after contact with human skin. The dermatitis characterized by swelling and itching in some people. The allergenic agent of litre is 3–pentadecyl (10–enyl) catechol (litreol), an urushiol similar in structure to the allergens from poison oak and poison ivy. ==Ecology==

Litre grows in matorral climates (i.e., areas with similar climates to the southern Mediterranean); its range in Central Chile is the broadest of any matorral shrub in the region. It is drought resistant, due to its deep and extensive root system. Probably due to its toxicity, litre is one of the least disturbed plants in its habitats. The plant and its surrounding soil have been found to be home to 29 families, 57 genera and 69 species of beetles. == Scientific History ==

Litre has been described in the scientific literature since at least the early 18th century. Explorer and botanist Louis Feuillée reported that sailors on his expedition experienced severe reactions after cutting down some 'Llithi' trees. It was given its first binomial name, Laurus caustica, by William Jackson Hooker and George Arnott Walker-Arnott in 1832. ==References==