Plants with toxic alkaloids - University of Washington
Plants with toxic alkaloids - University of Washington
Plants with toxic alkaloids - University of Washington
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Photo<strong>toxic</strong> <strong>Plants</strong> – Blister Bush<br />
Peucedanum galbanum, Blister Bush, is a plant in the family Apiaceae, Like<br />
other members <strong>of</strong> the family like Heracleum or cow parsnip or Angelica<br />
touching it can cause blistering if the irritant chemicals are exposed to sunlight<br />
Blister bush, <strong>with</strong> its greenish-yellow umbrella-shaped<br />
flowers, is perfectly harmless, until you touch it and an<br />
unpleasant cocktail <strong>of</strong> psoralen, xanthotoxin, bergapten are<br />
brushed <strong>of</strong>f the plant’s leaves and onto your skin.<br />
Psoralen is a phenolic compound called furano-coumarin.<br />
Exposure <strong>of</strong> the chemicals to sunlight<br />
triggers from a mild irritation to severe<br />
blistering requiring weeks to heal.<br />
Three days later when a red-purple<br />
rash and large burn-like welts appear<br />
on your skin.<br />
psoralen<br />
Blister bush isn’t the only plant that can cause photo<strong>toxic</strong><br />
reactions. In Wicked <strong>Plants</strong>: The Weed that Killed<br />
Lincoln’s Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities, Amy<br />
Stewart dedicates a chapter to these troublemakers.
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