Today I squatted down to read the number on a cap and knelled right into some kind of stinging plant. In Florida, we have the "stinging nettle", which I'm had run ins on many occasions, but this wasn't a stinging nettle that I'm used to seeing. The leaves and spines looked different. The leaves looked more like the leaves of a mint plant.
With the stinging nettle, it usually itches and burns for a couple of minutes then goes away. With this plant, it's still burning 6 hours later. I wish I had taken a picture of it at the time, but I figured it would go away in a few minutes. There is no rash or anything, just tingling and mild pain. I'm guessing some spines broke off in my legs ... I tried the tape removal method, but that hasn't helped, yet.
What other stinging plants there in the SE other than stinging nettles?
There different varieties of nettles, I think some of the young ones can be more potent. Usually another plant called 'doc' will be growing in the same area as the nettles. Crush some of the leaves up and rub on the affected area and it will help neutralize your reaction to the nettle stings. Works best if done right away. Chewing tobacco works good on bee and wasp stings in the FWIW dept., but I don't know about nettles.
Yeah, I plopped down in a batch of stinging nettles one fine summer day, no shirt, just the vest. Dang!
BTW Williwaw, is it just chewing the tobacco that works or could you smoke a cig?!;-)
-JD-
I did some googling and I'm quite sure now that this was a different variety of stinging nettle than I'm used to. Around here, they usually have forked leaves, but I found some varieties on the internet that look like mint leaves.
A guy I worked with called stinging nettle a "7 minute inching plant", but this variety is going on 7 hours ... 🙁
When I lived up in the western NC mountains, we had some stuff everyone just called "itch weed". It would bother not more than a few hours that I recall.
The purple points of saw-tooth briars seemed to hurt worse never minding they would just tear you open like a wild rabid wild-cat.
JD, I think you are referring to making a tobacco poultice for bee stings and such. Baking soda paste works better. At least it worked for me when that black hornet nailed me in the soft meat of the back of my leg. I honestly thought I'd been shot.
Sounds similar to what we call river nettles in Kentucky. They'll bother you for the rest of the day. They will work into clothes, even blue jeans and burn and itch like crazy. Nothing seems to help either, only time.
> Today I squatted down to read the number on a cap and knelled right into some kind of stinging plant. In Florida, we have the "stinging nettle", which I'm had run ins on many occasions, but this wasn't a stinging nettle that I'm used to seeing. The leaves and spines looked different. The leaves looked more like the leaves of a mint plant.
>
> With the stinging nettle, it usually itches and burns for a couple of minutes then goes away. With this plant, it's still burning 6 hours later. I wish I had taken a picture of it at the time, but I figured it would go away in a few minutes. There is no rash or anything, just tingling and mild pain. I'm guessing some spines broke off in my legs ... I tried the tape removal method, but that hasn't helped, yet.
>
> What other stinging plants there in the SE other than stinging nettles?
Maybe a spider or scorpion snuck in a shot before the plant caught your attention?
Florida Nettles - Try Baking Soda Paste...
There are a few different varieties of Stinging Nettle in Florida.
Maybe the Dwarf Nettle (Urtica urens)?
Also, check out Green Deane's video on Nettles (he in Florida BTW):
[flash width=420 height=315]//www.youtube.com/v/b5ulH6x65DY?hl=en_US&version=3[/flash]
Sounds to me like a Bull Nettle
http://www.foragingtexas.com/2008/07/bull-nettle.html
The only way to stop the itch is to piss on it.
(the affected area, not the plant)
James
Stinging plants - bull nettles
And when you run out, you will ask most anyone to pee on it.
Yes, they can really hurt that bad.
Most gals tend to squat in them.
