Hello All,
I did some (uh hm actually lots) of research yesterday and found out what the plant was that attacked me and all that jazz. It's called Giant Hogweed and is classified a noxious weed in most places it grows (not Christchurch New Zealand for some reason). Anyway this is what one website had to say:
"BEWARE! The sap from the leaves and particularly the stem is highly toxic and contact with the skin can lead to severe scars. Contact with the eyes can lead to temporary or, in some cases, permanent blindness. The sap renders skin photo-sensitive which means that exposure to sunlight following contact causes blisters and burns. If you do come into contact with the plant, and especially the sap, you are advised to wash the affected areas immediately, keep them out of direct sunlight and seek medical advice."
Scary stuff eh? I've read quite a lot and technically as far as I understand it's actually a burn on the site of the sap, the sap reacts with uv light and gains engery and burns ya, like a directed sunburn. Which is interesting because when I went to the pharmacy they didn't know anything about the plant or how to treat it but they said it looked like a burn not like a normal plant rash. Unfortunately I read somewhere else that if the wound is dark red and not blistery it will probably turn into a purple-black scar and I've got one wound like that on my leg. :( I think the other ones won't scar though which is good, although they are starting to get damn itchy.
Again poor poor Alex and Saxon!
Stay away from giant hogweed!
Love
Mindy
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