NICOLA MESSINA: PRESENTATION OF THE BOOK "THE UNTOUCHABLES"

When we enter a naturalistic area, whether it's a tropical or temperate forest, a desert or even a grove behind the house, we show a spontaneous caution towards animals: that universe in motion that could sting, bite and injure us . Plants, on the other hand, don't cause us particular concerns, their immobility reassures us: we reserve the only suspicions for possible poisoning by ingestion. This is why we avoid tasting some colorful and inviting berry, if we don't know it. However, we are little aware that many plants are dangerous on simple contact, they are truly untouchable, because they have very complex defense systems to keep away all those herbivorous herds that would like to eat them. Allergenic substances, hairs containing toxic cocktails, thorns that carry bacteria, caustic juices and fearsome ants in cahoots with plants in exchange for some advantage are just some of the means that we are aware of that different plants have to hit us men too, giving us experiences on the skin that we would gladly do without.

Also due to global warming that has been going on for several years now, many of these plants are expanding and therefore represent both a significant threat to public health and a problem for ecosystems. This book aims to reveal the identities and secrets of some of these fearsome plants, offering naturalists, photographers and travelers ready for the next departure a new observation perspective on the plant world, often erroneously understood as inert and harmless.