# Outdoors > Other outdoors, sports, huts and tracks >  Plants - the nasty kinds

## Dougie

So in this wonderful country of ours, I have learned a bit about plants that grow here and what conditions they grow in. I still have a heap to learn and find it interesting particularly when this sort of knowledge can lead to more animals in the freezer. But what I don't know too much about are the nasty plants for people (and animals I guess!)

Today on a bit of a bash through some un-kept farm land with public access, I was looking at what I thought was normal boring bush. On the way back down to the car I came through the same chute but with a bit more speed and YOUCH it felt like a hot wire cut my leg straight in half! Apon further inspection, no wound what so ever, but burning cold pain and then numbness similiar to what a local anesthetic feels like. I had a sheepish look back up to what I ran through and saw a wee plant (sorry no pics!) that looked sort of like your typical cartoon mistletoe? So wtf was that?

I know I have sensitive skin but even after a shower and probably two hours later, I still have a numb spot across my shin.  :Wtfsmilie:  The dog didn't go through the same place so he's fine but hubby has a similar thing on his shins too although adding itchy to my symptoms.

Any botanists in the house?

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## Toby

Stinging nettle?

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## Dougie

Nope

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## Toby

Can you describe the leaf shape?

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## Dougie

> I had a sheepish look back up to what I ran through and saw a wee plant (sorry no pics!) *that looked sort of like your typical cartoon mistletoe*?


Yep.

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## Toby

My bad, Was there alot of it or just the one plant? Is that a mistletoe? I googled it and there were different types.

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## CreepingDeath

Onga onga i bet

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## Raging Bull

> *Onga onga* i bet
> 
> Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2


+1

Nasty shit.

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## Toby



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## kiwijames

Ongaonga will be growing like crazy now. Often around the edges of creeks and anywhere a bit damp. It can kill a dog pretty easy.

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## Beavis

Stinging Nettle can kill

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## veitnamcam

It always called anything with white hairs that stings stinging nettle- not up with the names :rolleyes:
Always manage to grab a bit when walking in or out in the dark
 :Grin:  shit sacred one day il Arse up face first in the shit and that would be bad!
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## Rushy

Dougie these Guys are very likely correct and so was Toby.  Onga onga is a stinging nettle.  There are a few different types and they all burn like crazy when the tiny hairs penetrate the skin.  Too much of it can have dire consequences. You can guarantee when in the bush that if you jump across a stream and reach out to grab a hold of something to steady yourself that it will be Onga onga that you grab.  Prick of a stuff.

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## Toby

I learnt the hard way not to touch it, Dad said don't touch it it stings so I poked it with my finger.

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## Barefoot

> Dougie these Guys are very likely correct and so was Toby.  Onga onga is a stinging nettle.  There are a few different types and they all burn like crazy when the tiny hairs penetrate the skin.  Too much of it can have dire consequences. You can guarantee when in the bush that if you jump across a stream and reach out to grab a hold of something to steady yourself that it will be Onga onga that you grab.  Prick of a stuff.


And if the nettles are there waiting for you the bush lawyer will be. At least that just leads to 5mins of swearing.

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## Rushy

Yeh that stuff just pisses you off unless it rips across your face and you've been sweating. Then it really shits ya

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## Ryan

> I learnt the hard way not to touch it, Dad said don't touch it it stings so I poked it with my finger.


Heh, Dad usually knows best  :Have A Nice Day: 

Had a look for this stuff, here is a wikiwiki article: Urtica ferox - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and what the hunter died from Polyneuropathy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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## Ryan

Very interesting stuff, have never heard of Bush lawyer (plant) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia before but upon looking at the pictures, have definitely encountered it.

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## Dougie

Wait, what? It can kill a dog?

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## Rushy

Enough of it can kill a person

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## Dougie

Yikes. My next door neighbour goes there a lot with her Viszla cross. I'll let her know to be careful around the bush edge. Thanks dudes.

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## Barefoot

It's put horses on the ground in the ureweras, not sure if it's ever killed one.
Dogs seem to have a lower tolerance like they have to many other things  :Sad: 

The nettles in the ureweras do seem to have a bigger kick than most places though.

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## Toby

> It's put horses on the ground in the ureweras, not sure if it's ever killed one.
> Dogs seem to have a lower tolerance like they have to many other things 
> 
> The nettles in the ureweras do seem to have a bigger kick than most places though.


Up in behind ferry springs is a shit load of it. where I was when I poked it.

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## Rushy

> The nettles in the ureweras do seem to have a bigger kick than most places though.


The nettles in the Okahu on the side of the track just over the top of the big hill between Skips and Rodgers huts are fucking potent. Stings like a stingy thing and burns like a burny thing.

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## Barefoot

Rushy
Did you ever have any dealings with the old hungarian (I think) that used to drive round minginui in a big fairmont (had a chevy before that)? 
He used to carry a pair of secateurs with him to let him slip through the nasty stuff.

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## Dougie

I'm still stinging/sore on my shin, grrr  :Omg:

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## Toby

Google stinging nettle remedeys, may have something useful.

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## kiwijames

> I'm still stinging/sore on my shin, grrr


Ha ha. It stings like a bitch when you have a hot shower too. Sort of re powers it up again. A good Onga whack will tingle for a day or two.

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## Dougie

> Ha ha. It stings like a bitch when you have a hot shower too. Sort of re powers it up again. A good Onga whack will tingle for a day or two.


Okay, yeah thanks. I showered before work and tried to just pat it dry but yep, super powered that fucker!

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## EeeBees

Dougie, the native stinging nettle, ongaonga, is a deciduous plant...it is when it drops its leaves that it becomes potentially more dangerous to dogs as the sting will still be potent!!   For humans who have gotten badly stung with it, lots and lots of black coffee is a good way to start!!!



Addend: the sting of the introduced nettle _Urtica dioica_ can be relieved by rubbing dock leaves over the stung parts...it really does work!!

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## Chris

Bloody stuff in the ureweras was nasty in winter & it grew over 6' high .Start following deer trails they generally go right threw a big patch of it . 
Think we used Meths on the stings ,been a long time since got hit by the stuff . I used to go numb for 3 or 4 days ,backs of hands use to wear it most.

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## Dougie

> Bloody stuff in the ureweras was nasty in winter & it grew over 6' high .Start following deer trails they generally go right threw a big patch of it . 
> Think we used Meths on the stings ,been a long time since got hit by the stuff . I used to go numb for 3 or 4 days ,*backs of hands use to wear it most*.


In the army my left hand got so fat, leathery, swoolen just from being the leading hand on my rifle when bush bashing eh.

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## Rushy

> Rushy
> Did you ever have any dealings with the old hungarian (I think) that used to drive round minginui in a big fairmont (had a chevy before that)? 
> He used to carry a pair of secateurs with him to let him slip through the nasty stuff.


No I can't say that I have. Was he the buyer that ran the shop there?

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## Rushy

Dougie there is a fair bit do dock about so go looking

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## Tahr

It attracts dead dear...they always seem to end up in a patch of it. Sometimes I tingle for several days if I have been caught by it.

An old remedy is to rub the tingling area with a dock leaf.

There's a lot of it in the Nthn Wairarapa and I've seen a dog become very ill through being stung by it on one of the Ripia River private blocks.

Dougie, you will get to know the sorts of habitat where it prefers to grow and learn to spot it easily by second nature. Getting stung by it speeds up the learning process.  :Zomg:

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## Barefoot

> No I can't say that I have. Was he the buyer that ran the shop there?


Different guy, the one I'm thinking of lived elsewhere, had been going down since the early 70's for meat hunting to bump up the income. Dissappeared off the scene early 90's.
Most of his venison recipes started with - marinate your meat in red wine for 3 days . . .  but not that kiwi sh#t  :Grin:

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## Rushy

> Different guy, the one I'm thinking of lived elsewhere, had been going down since the early 70's for meat hunting to bump up the income. Dissappeared off the scene early 90's.
> Most of his venison recipes started with - marinate your meat in red wine for 3 days . . .  but not that kiwi sh#t


Ha ha ha.  Kiwi red wine (especially a Pinot Noir) is a bloody good drop to have with venison.

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## stingray

It's at it's most toxic from Nov - Feb here in the top of the south, the problem with it is that it's not just one chemical it's a real mixture and ya poor old mate (dog) goes through it tounge out panting or licks itself once again after going through it (picks up the toxins off the fur onto the tounge etc) and get absorbed straight into the blood stream. 

I had a dog at the vet couple of years ago from it 6 jabs of differnt stuff and a drip for 24 hours. Took him 2 weeks to come right.

add Matorgari and spear grass / spaniard & briar rose....

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## Dougie

> It's at it's most toxic from Nov - Feb here in the top of the south, the problem with it is that it's not just one chemical it's a real mixture and ya poor old mate (dog) goes through it tounge out panting or licks itself once again after going through it (picks up the toxins off the fur onto the tounge etc) and* get absorbed straight into the blood stream*. 
> 
> I had a dog at the vet couple of years ago from it 6 jabs of differnt stuff and a drip for 24 hours. Took him 2 weeks to come right.
> 
> add Matorgari and spear grass / spaniard & briar rose....


Ah, good point *Stingray*. Unlike the lovely hunting dog, my boy has a great double coat that is sort of like a waterproof jacket/tough swanny on the outside, fluffy warm stuff on the inside. Nothing seems to stick to him or make it through his thick coat to the skin. Trouble is when you're running around with two jackets on you tend to get pretty hot pretty quick. Hence why he loves the rain - water-cooled dog. Anyway toungue is pretty much always out.

Why have I not heard of this stuff before lol! Top five poisonings on our list at the vet don't include anything natural. 1080, rat poisons, chocolates and caffine.

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## Toby

could add these bushes to the list.

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## Dougie

> could add these bushes to the list.


It's a list of the top most common cases of poisonings that are admitted to our hospital.

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## Barefoot

Because for the average vet rat poison, chocolate, etc ARE the most common poisons.
The majority of dog owners won't see anything worse than the blackberry bushes in the local park.
There's about 80 houses in my street, there are 13 dogs that I know are in the street, I'm sure there's more.
My 2 will be the only ones that regularly leave the burbs, some probably don't leave the section.

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## Dougie

> Because for the average vet rat poison, chocolate, etc ARE the most common poisons.
> The majority of dog owners won't see anything worse than the blackberry bushes in the local park.
> There's about 80 houses in my street, there are 13 dogs that I know are in the street, I'm sure there's more.
> My 2 will be the only ones that regularly leave the burbs, some probably don't leave the section.


It's interesting eh. My next door neighbour has a pointer and a boxer, they NEVER leave the section. The pointer is an 'escape artist' so he is always chained up, left to bordom bark for eight hours a day as his exercise.

Wellington seems to be a big lover of poodle crosses...ugh haha. Yesterday at work we had a Viszla entire male come in and I always immediately ask the owners if they hunt!

It would be cool to work at a rural vet....do you take your hunting dogs to the 'normal' suburban vet? I just changed vets...and I don't go to the one I work at  :Grin:  hahaha that's saying something for you....

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## stingray

He sounds like a beaut Dougie .. you probably already know!! but a word of caution heat will kill a dog faster than you would ever believe.. dumb arse's locking their mate in a car with windows just down a crack etc is a death sentnce but even running a dog in the heat drop em .. we take our mob down to a secluded part of the river and swim the buggers for an hour in summer. 

As far as hunting goes were off the hill by 9am it just to dangeous to the hounds.

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## Dougie

What flavour pooch do you have, *stingray*? I've put in an order to Santa for Jet..a kiddy pool/giant shell. Not much water near us. He'd swim in a teacup if he could fit.

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## stingray

Just a bista at present, Keela is a buggered if I know ( got her as a failed pig dog ), looks like a keepie / collie / mutt down the road cross... has a wicked nose could find a fart in a gale!!

She's around about three I was told,bloody well trained & stock proof as and a awsume mate.. she has a few scars so I'm picking she got a couple of hidings from a pig or two and decided that huntings not for her. 

She'l run all day & swim all afternoon,clean tidy and a bloody great pot licker. so yeah she suits me. 

No hunting dogs at present.. work / mortage etc.

the hounds I mentioned before are my mates pack bully x's (not pitbull), boof head ,honest, loyal dogs

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## SiB

Couple of the guys have mentioned it - but dock really is the best solution to nettle stings - crush the leaves first in your hand - its the sap/juices fom the dock you want into your skin - it neutralizes it (or at least minimises it). 

Anti-histamine (hay-fever) type medication might help too - the irritation is actually your own body reacting to the toxins in the plant. You should definitely consider if swelling present. Yup - they're (anti-histamines) a good little thing to carry in your bumbag - will kick in within 10 minutes of taking. Obviously go for the non-drowsy type! (Loratadine or cetrizine the usual non-drowsy ones)

I'm on anti-histamines year-round now due to another medical condition - but the plus has been that bites and stings don't bother me half as much these days either.

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## stingray

great advive SiB, Cheers

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## Dougie

Could find a fart in a gale - awesome, I love it. Wish my dog could do that!!!!  :Grin:

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## Dundee

We got heaps of onga onga in the Ruahines also down at the river.
One part we used too walk thru the bush is blocked by that shit now :Sad:

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## Rushy

Whack on a 15 litre backpack spray unit of roundup and knock the shit out of it Dundee

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## Dundee

> Whack on a 15 litre backpack spray unit of roundup and knock the shit out of it Dundee


I have definitely thought about doing that Rushy also the blackberry is taking over.

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## Toby

Can you get a scrub bar or weed eater in there then spray the chopped up shit?

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## Dundee

> Can you get a scrub bar or weed eater in there then spray the chopped up shit?


I wouldn't go near the nettle with a weedeater the bits would be flying all over the place including myself

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## Toby

whats about petrol and matchs?

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## Dundee

Nahh the whole place would go up

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## Toby

Big clearing  :Grin:

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## Rushy

> I wouldn't go near the nettle with a weedeater the bits would be flying all over the place including myself


Yeh you wouldn't want to go flinging nettles around at high speed.  That would be a big mistake.

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## striker

the other remedy we have used in the past for Ongaonga stings is put a set of gloves on, grab the stem below the leaves and slice the stem to show the white sap wood and rub that on the sting, its worked for us in the past ( your results may vary, dont resting your self  :ORLY:

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## Dundee

This crap is spreading at a rate 50cm a day

And has smothered a large totara and other native trees

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## veitnamcam

Machete at ground level Dundee!

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## Dundee

> Machete at ground level Dundee!



Thats a hell of a lot of work :Yaeh Am Not Durnk:  :Grin:

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## veitnamcam

Can't be that many vines out of the ground ?

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## Barefoot

There will be lots of little tendrils that will go into the ground, once they take grip. They quickly become roots and then if you pull the rest out they will still resprout.

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## veitnamcam

Yea but it would kill the big ones killing that tree.
Not a long term fix obviously 

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## Rushy

Ongaonga got me on Saturday Dundee.

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## BRADS

Steady on chaps Onga Onga is the local pub :Cool:

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## Gapped axe

There was the old German fella that used to live on the corner at Te Whaiti. He was a tough old hard case, always trolling up and down the roads with his rifle, I used to pig hunt with one of his Son's. I built a couple of campsites (mid eighties) in the area for a tourist venture, they had hot showers and flushing toilets supplied by Ram pumps fed by small dams. One was just past Skips, or Rodgers, which ever is furthest in from the Okahu Rd. Not that far from the  Mangahika saddle and the other was at the Bull Pen down towards Central Te Hoe hut. Anyone know if they are still there??

Yup agreed Onga Onga is shit

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## Rushy

> There was the old German fella that used to live on the corner at Te Whaiti. He was a tough old hard case, always trolling up and down the roads with his rifle, I used to pig hunt with one of his Son's. I built a couple of campsites (mid eighties) in the area for a tourist venture, they had hot showers and flushing toilets supplied by Ram pumps fed by small dams. One was just past Skips, or Rodgers, which ever is furthest in from the Okahu Rd. Not that far from the  Mangahika saddle and the other was at the Bull Pen down towards Central Te Hoe hut. Anyone know if they are still there?


GA The camp past Rodgers was still there about 5 years back when I was in the area.

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## Gapped axe

They used to take me 8 days to build with a gang of 4 track cutters, they also had Hot water and a septic tank and field drain. The last nite was always hot shower nite, instead of the creek ,luxury. This was in winter, bloody cold tent camps.

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## 7mmwsm

The best remedy for onga onga stings I have come across is skin a section of the stem, twist and smash it up so the inner stem is moist, then rub the moisture on the affected area. Works well. I'll even cut a small section of stem and carry it with me in areas where it is bad.

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