brown bear

Sosnowsky’s hogweedUnpleasant surprises can also result from touching, pickingor breaking certain plants. Sosnovsky’s hogweed is a primeexample of that. Sosnowsky’s hogweeds are plants withimpressive dimensions. They can grow four metres high over thesummer, their leaf blades can reach a metre in length and theinflorescence can reach a diameter of over half a metre. The baseof the stem is as thick as a young tree. The sap of Sosnowsky’shogweed has a strongly irritating and damaging effect on humanskin. In lighter cases the reaction is limited to redness, pricklingand swelling of the skin. The situation becomes particularlydangerous in sunny days because the furanocoumarin containedin the plant makes the skin defenceless against ultravioletradiation. As a result, the places of contact with the plant sapwill, in a few days, develop slow-healing blisters. As toxicsubstances also evaporate from the plant in sunny days, moresensitive people can get blisters even just from staying near theplants.If the skin has been in contact with the plant sap, you shouldquickly go to a shady place and wash the affected place withwater and soap. Efficient solar protection in the subsequent daysis also very important. Contact with several other plant speciesmay also result in red and sore palms. For instance, you shouldbe careful when picking the beloved spring flowers – liverleaves,wood anemones, globeflowers.Estonian Museum of Natural History•Dangerous Nature: Myths & Realityphoto: Heikko Kruusiplants•touching 18