I think it was an old “Bush Tucker Man” show where Les said
that it was the hollow hairs of the plant that got stuck
in the skin and exposed nerves to air that caused the pain.
There were so many things in Oz that could kill or paralyze you. Snakes and spiders were the worse. The Funnel Web spider would actually chase you, they could bite right through sneakers. If your lawn had an infestation of them you’d have to dig down three feet and have all that dirt removed.