“Don’t touch that! It’s like poison ivy!” the person behind me on the hiking trail cautioned as I plucked a stem of scorpion weed from the plant.
I’d handled scorpion weed before, so I wasn’t concerned. As I squished it in my fingers and held it to my nose, I recalled the hike several years ago with a refuge biologist who collected samples of the weed to take back for identification. Along the way, she said, she kept sniffing her armpits thinking she perhaps needed a shower. After researching the plant, however, she discovered that one of its characteristics was its odor similar to body odor.
Confirm
Now on the trail in the desert north of Phoenix, I wanted to confirm that I held scorpion weed by inhaling its fragrance. Although I was unaware of its mimicry of poison ivy, I knew it hadn’t affected me in the past.
However, in the past I had merely smelled the plant and not crushed it against my skin. Still oblivious to its effects, I remained comfortable.
Until the next morning.
Next Morning
I awoke with tingling fingers that itched unmercifully. And because I naturally had touched my face and rubbed my eyes the day before, my left eye watered like a fountain and my left cheek swelled with a bumpy red rash.
All day long I scratched and agonized as my hands itched and throbbed. I discovered that while cold water helped, hot water felt like tiny knives slicing into the flesh of the fingers and palms of my hands. I finally Googled scorpion weed where Wikipedia informed me that it is in the genus Phacelia along with heliotrope and phacelia and “…..contact with the hairs of some species ……can cause a very unpleasant rash similar to that from poison oak and poison ivy…..”
Well Informed
Indeed, the hiker behind me on the trail was well informed, and I now know another characteristic of scorpion weed. Had she learned it the hard way like I did?
It also occurred to me that venomous critters, cactus spines, and mesquite thorns are not the only dangers in the desert. Perhaps I should also brush up on noxious plants!
Gosh, you write well… I was walking right along with you on that path ! You draw one in so imperceptibly that we start itching and throbbing too! Thanks for the info… just néed a picture of your pain maker. I think you should take your exhibits to Honolulu and THERE we could visit & you share your knowledge…..what say you? ????
Thanks for your compliments! Even now, many days later there’s still some residual itching. Tour to HNL?? Looks like there are tons of toxic/poisonous plants in the Islands, too, like everyone’s favorite, the Plumeria, a relative to the Oleander. So….watch out for those Leis!
Oh no! That was the same species you looked at on our hike. I am glad to know that I shouldn’t have a close encounter if I ever go hiking in the desert again.
Jeanne, that’s one of the many surprises in our local desert! And, many days after, the itch goes on!
Hope you are over those symptoms and feeling better.
Thanks! Takes more than that to keep Betty down!