Plant That Causes Blindness
16.06.2023 - 06:29
/ balconygardenweb.com
It recently came into news and attracted the attention of environmentalists and biologists. According to the Fox News–“In brief, the sap prevents your skin from protecting itself from sunlight, which leads to a very bad sunburn.”
Heracleum mantegazzianum is the scientific name of the invasive plant- Giant Hogweed. It’s native to the western region of Eurasia and was introduced in Britain originally as an ornamental plant. Some of its kinds are found in some areas of Europe, the United States, and Canada. Apart from the fact that it’s a beautiful flowering plant, it causes phytophotodermatitis in humans, which has a burning effect and a lot of pain. Not only its sap can cause painful blisters, but it can also result in permanent blindness too.
This toxic plant can grow up to a height of 16 feet under ideal conditions. The flowers are mostly white or greenish white, forming an umbrella-like shape across its top.
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The sap of giant hogweed is phototoxic, meaning that it can induce third-degree burns and irritation on your skin. For a toxic plant, this weed is unexpectedly beautiful, and one unknown of its hazardous consequences would love to touch and praise it. There has been strong awareness recently about its dangerous effects. However, most people still don’t know the aftereffects of touching this plant. After getting in direct contact with the wet sap, it can agitate your skin within 15 minutes and cause burns in the exposure of sunlight. To make things worse, there’s a risk of blindness if it goes into your eyes.
Be very cautious of it, especially if you live in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Maryland, Oregon, Washington, Michigan, Virginia, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. The reactive