UKH

Twice now i've come away from climbing at Torbay area, and had wounds mysteriously develop, from a slight sore feeling with nothing to show, into a weeping wound that leaves a scar.
Both times on my lower legs. First time from down at the Daddyhole Main Cliff, or Long Quarry Point, or Meadfoot Quarry, or Telegraph / Parsons Hole (been to a few of these at that time) + 2nd time from climbing at Daddyhole, the upper cliff.
I think that Cow Parsnip, also called Hogweed ( but this one is not the Giant Hogweed that everyone's probably heard of, which is toxic in the same way) is growing there.
Contact with the plant, or its sap, and your skin, in Uv light, causes a reaction that results in these 'burns'..

Not so bad on your legs, but you could also get the burns + scars to anywhere including your face, ... the scarring can be quite bad. It's a bit like having been burnt by acid.
And so i wondered if flaking your ropes out / untangling them from the plants growing there could damage rope, if it is acid like? , but it seems the reaction that causes the burns specifically involves a combination of the plants defence chemical (furanocoumarin) , uv light, + dna eg skin cells ..?

Has anyone else experienced this from here or anywhere else?

I think the species encountered here is the yellow flowered type, but the white one could be around too.


http://dnr.wi.gov/wnrmag/html/stories/1999/jun99/parsnip.htm


http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/bites-and-stings/Pages/Plant-dangers-garden-coun...

http://www.woodlands.co.uk/blog/flora-and-fauna/wild-parsnip/#

http://www.thepoisongarden.co.uk/atoz/pastinaca_sativa.htm

In reply to Rock to Fakey:
some people are sensitive to other umbellifers, other than giant hogweed. I had one poor chap who I sent off strimming somewhere I had cut for years with no effect, who came back looking just like you describe, because of common hogweed, which I've known some people eat! His doc said it was rare but not unknown.

I think by cow parsnip you mean cow parsley, which is a different plant again.

Ps. Cow parsley is also know as motherdie in the north west, as picking it makes your mother die. This is probably quite an extreme reaction, though

In reply to toad:
Interesting.

Yep,... apoligies, correction...

it's called..... Wild Parsnip. (not cow parsnip),

Shame the title can't be edited.

Some articles did mention cow parsley too, but the links are for Wild parsnip

Wild Parsnip prefers calciferous / limestone soils too....

In reply to Rock to Fakey:

In Mallorca years ago we had burns/blisters on our legs, found out to cut a cactus leaf/Jaoba? and smear it over the wound, it worked. I think this was from a caterpillar nest/web that was in the bushes.

In reply to Rock to Fakey:

I've probably climbed at all those venues this year alone and never had a problem. But then again the sun has mostly been absent when I've been down. Thanks for the post

In reply to Rock to Fakey:

I have seen this with "Blister Bush" on Table Mountain in South Africa. Very similar looking plant to Wild Parsnip, think they must be from the same family

In reply to taddersandbadger:

Good name for it.
Quite the opposite of Bliss Bush then, although perhaps that could take you from Bliss to Bust.