Australia and Oceania
Central and South America
Africa
South and South-East Asia
Guide to Contact-Poisonous Plants
By family names in botanical order, and alphabetically by scientific names within each family.
Disclaimer: The plant species listed here are toxic. This also applies to others which are not presented here. The information in this document have been compiled with care and accuracy. Correctness cannot be guaranteed, however.
Blue-Green Algae
genus or species
Different families of order Cyanophyta
Synonyms: Cyanobacteria (en), Blaualgen (de)
Occurrence: Worldwide, especially in warm regions, in seawater as well as in freshwater.
Description: These algae sometimes make water seem green in colour or sometimes form a blue-green scum on the surface. A bad (musty-earthy) smell may indicate the presence of these algae.
Effects: Chemical through algal toxins. Marine cyanobacterial dermatitis ('swimmers' itch' or 'seaweed dermatitis') is a severe inflammation of the skin that may occur after swimming in water containing blooms of certain species of marine cyanobacteria. The symptoms are itching and burning within a few