By Lynnm
Canada 
I was pulling a tall weed from the stalk that grew under my oak tree and my hand instantly felt like I was stung by hundreds of bees or needles. I grabbed another with my other hand and same thing. My hands are still stinging after washing with soap and water. The variegated leaves are long and narrow. What is this beast?
8 Sep, 2012
Answers
It's a bit late to offer this advice now, but if it was nettle, if ever you touch them again (by accident, I hope) don't rub, wash, touch or wet the area - wave your hand about in the air by all means, but if you don't touch it with anything at all, it passes within 5 minutes and doesn't bother you again. Rub or touch it after you've been stung and it'll sting on and off for some hours...
9 Sep, 2012
Gotta remember that, Bamboo. We don't have nettles here in the desert, but they occasionally show up in northern Arizona.
10 Sep, 2012
You need really good willpower to beat the overwhelming urge to rub it when you get stung though, Tug, its an instinctive reaction - but all it does is push the fine, invisible 'prickles' deeper into the skin... I spent 10 minutes on Sunday keening and waving my left arm in the air - brushed against the blasted things, didn't notice them. It passed, lol!
10 Sep, 2012
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Maybe a narrow-leaved form or species of stinging nettle (Urtica)? On rare occasions, a variegated form appears.
9 Sep, 2012