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David in Normandy[_8_] · 04-07-2009, 01:16 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening

wrote:

There is a similar gradation to the sensitivity of people, as with
bee stings, from life-threatening reactions down to trivial and very
temperary rashes. And not everyone reacts consistently between plants.
Runner beans, courgettes and hops cause reactions precisely because
their stems are abrasive, and so can get small amounts of sap through
the skin. More toxic plants cause the problem less often because
they are not.

That sounds like a good explanation. I don't tend to be allergic to
anything as a rule, but those leaves are rough, so could be scratching
sap directly into my skin. I don't even get a rash, just an ill-defined
itchiness over a wide area that can last an hour or two.

--
David in Normandy.
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