Euphorbiaceae FAMILY

Mercurialis annua

Edibility

1/5

Medicinal

1/5

Safety & Hazards

The plant is poisonous, but less so than the perennial M. perennis[ 4 Title A Modern Herbal. Publication Author Grieve. Publisher Penguin Year 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 Description Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants. , 65 Title A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Publication Author Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. Publisher Wolfe Year 1984 ISBN 0723408394 Description Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far. , 66 Title From Agar to Zenery. Publication Author Freethy. R. Publisher The Crowood Press Year 1985 ISBN 0-946284-51-2 Description Very readable, giving details on plant uses based on the authors own experiences. , 76 Title Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. Publication Author Cooper. M. and Johnson. A. Publisher HMSO Year 1984 ISBN 0112425291 Description Concentrates mainly on the effects of poisonous plants to livestock. ].

Botanical Description

Mercurialis annua is an annual plant that can grow up to 0.50 metres tall. It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeEurope, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to the Mediterranean. Azores.

HabitatWaste places[ 17 Title Flora of the British Isles. Publication Author Clapham, Tutin and Warburg. Publisher Cambridge University Press Year 1962 ISBN - Description A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures. ]. A common weed of cultivated soils, but it avoids acid soils[ 1 Title RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Publication Author F. Chittendon. Publisher Oxford University Press Year 1951 ISBN - Description Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]). ].