Most people are aware of the dangers of poisons plants such as stinging nettles but for Charlotte Murphy aged 21, the poisons plant she encountered was far worse.

When out for a walk in Vermont, she stumbled into some bushes. She got up and continued walking but after a few days, her small stumble had evolved into second-degree burns.

Murphy had slid into a parsnip weed (Pastinaca sativa), also known as hobo parsnip and poison parsnip. This wild weed resembles a carrot in appearance. The cream-colored roost is edible, but its sap is non-edible. They grow to about 60 inches tall and buds into few small yellow colored flowers in an umbrella shape. The parsnip sap consists of furanocoumarin, which causes severe burns.

Joellen Lampman from Cornell University said, "The sap is toxic and basically strips the body's ability to control the UV radiations from sunlight."

Sunlight activates the components in the oil which leads to severe sunburns. It can become worse with heat and moisture. After her tumble, Murphy spent a few hours in the hot sun, due to which she ended up with severe burns.

She was treated at the University of Vermont's Trauma and Burn Center. She is currently in recovery and should return to full health with the exception few permanent scars.