Bull Nettle

Description:

palmate leaves, woody stem, covered in irritating hairs (I found out the hard way!) and thorns- from wiki ' On being touched, the brittle swollen tip breaks off at an oblique angle, the sharpened end readily penetrates the skin, and the cell contents are injected as if by a hypodermic syringe. This poison leads to great irritation of the skin, a condition which may last several days. If part of the plant is eaten it causes swelling of the lips, flushing of the face, vomiting and even unconsciousness. '

Habitat:

semi arid dry tropical forest

Notes:

These were the most common flowering plants in the desert. I often searched them in detail looking for spottings and was not disappointed. I accidentally brushed up against one and even though I was wearing long pants, the hairs still caused an irritating and burning feeling. I made sure to keep a safe distance after that!