HERB - Poison Ivy help

[Roberta R Comstock]

On Fri, 21 May 1999 20:26:16 EDT Bjmikita at aol.com writes:
>I've never heard of blister beetles.  

Blister beetles include any of over 300 species of insects in 26 
genera that produce canthardin (the main ingredient in 'Spanish 
fly'). Canthardin is exuded from the leg joints and causes 
blistering if it gets on human skin.  You can get a large painful 
burning blister from one of these beetles walking across your arm.

As little as 10mg of cantharidin can be fatal if ingested or 
applied to mucous membranes.  


>For that matter, there wasn't supposed to be poision ivy in the 
>area my husband was pulling weeds.  He did wear 
>gloves.  

And long sleeves?  with no gap between glove and sleeve?

>We were told it was virginia creeper.  Five leaves instead of 
>three.  

Five leaves may have been box elder.  When young, it looks a 
lot like poison ivy.  But box elder is harmless.  Virginia creeper 
has regular serrations along the edges of the leaflets.  Poison 
ivy leaves are irregularly toothed, but the edges between the 
notches are smooth.  

Hertha

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