page_title: Cnidoscolus texanus
section_title: Bullnettle exposure
hierarchical_section_title: Cnidoscolus texanus / Bullnettle exposure
caption_attribution_description: English: Texas bullnettle (Cnidoscolus texanus) and plains coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria), Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado County, Texas, USA (3 May 2018)
context_page_description: Cnidoscolus texanus, commonly known as Texas bullnettle, tread-softly, mala mujer, and finger rot, is a perennial herb covered with stinging hairs. The main stem, branches, leaves, and seed pods are all covered with hispid or glass-like bristly hairs that release an allergenic toxin upon contact. Contact with the plant results in intense pain: stinging, burning, and itching lasting for hours. It is native to the U.S. states of Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma and also native to the northeastern state of Tamaulipas, Mexico. It is an herbaceous flowering plant that grows between 30–80 cm tall and as much as 1 m across. Texas bullnettle has showy, fragrant white flowers that can bloom throughout the year in southern regions of its distribution, predominantly March to November in northern regions. It is a drought-tolerant plant, therefore making it a superb choice for xeriscaping. This plant is attractive to birds, bees, butterflies, and other insects. The seeds are known to be consumed by Rio Grande wild turkeys and mourning doves.
  The seeds, which are edible when ripe, are also consumed by humans.
context_section_description: Contact with the plant, even the inadvertent, gentle brushing of exposed skin in passing, results in intense pain, including a burning, stinging, itching rash lasting for hours, with the fine hairs breaking off in the skin secreting caustic irritants. The spines providing a vehicle for the plants secretions to make it into the dermal and epidermal layers of the skin. In a few extreme cases, people experience a severe reaction that may require treatment, ranging from cellulitis (a type of skin infection) to rare allergic reactions. Some authors suggest relief from a normal reaction can be found with the application of a weak solution of ammonia, "Windex is a good choice" or when in remote areas that urine can be applied, stating "desperate times call for desperate measures".
  The secretions of the plant cause an intense burning sensation due to their highly acidic pH. Once the nettles themselves are removed from the skin, a moderately basic preparation such as baking soda mixed with water to form a paste is sufficient to neutralize the acidic secretions of the plant, thus stopping the painful burning and itching sensation. The spines can be removed with an adhesive tape, however, one website suggest waiting 10-15 minutes for the spines to dry, otherwise the pressure from applying the tape will only press more toxins into the skin.
caption: White flowers of the Texas bullnettle (Cnidoscolus texanus) blooming with the yellow plains coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria) in coastal prairie habitat, Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado Co., Texas, USA
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