"Janet Baraclough" wrote in message
...
The message
from "Rupert \(W.Yorkshire\)" contains these words:

The irritant only works when exposed to sunlight (I think it needs UV
light).
So nothing happens in dull weather but it causes blisters in the sun.

The skin becomes photosensitised by the chemicals, so later on, every
time sunshine hits that same area of skin , it will blister, exactly
like being burned severely over and over again. This can last years.


A classic "injury" is a ring of blisters around yer mouth if you use it
as a blow pipe (when aged 11 or so I hasten to add).

I suspect you experienced the much lesser, temporary reaction by wet
skin to the sap of one of the native umbellifers, cow parsley or native
hogweeed (a local irritant is not the same thing, as
photosensitisation). Also, the stems of HM are as thick as my wrist,
far too wide for powerful peashooting :-)

It didn't happen me; I saw a photopgraph of the injury.
A kid had chopped down a stem and was blowing down it and he got a ring of
blisters.
First time I ever saw HM was when I was 19.



It is a very impressive plant but does get invasive sometimes in
conservation areas.
In a garden, it is probably controllable and could be a conversation
piece?

It's *highly* invasive and perennial. It's an offence to purposely
plant it anywhere. Scottish councils have a notification and eradication
programme for it.

http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/pr...67839/?lang=_e gives chapter
and verse and also a good photo showing the scale of a mature plant


Janet.

--
Isle of Arran Open Gardens weekend 21,22,23 July 2006
5 UKP three-day adult ticket (funds go to island charities) buys entry
to 26 private gardens