Euphorbia corollata
| Euphorbia corollata | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Mid Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Euphorbia corollata (common name: wild spurge)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cultivation: Prefers a light well-drained moderately rich loam in an open position[1]. Succeeds in dry soils[2].
Hybridizes with other members of this genus[1]. The ripe seed is released explosively from the seed capsules[1].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer or rabbits[3].
This genus has been singled out as a potential source of latex (for making rubber) for the temperate zone, although no individual species has been singled out[4].
Range: Central N. America - Ontario to Massachusetts, Minnesota, Florida and Texas
Habitat: Dry soils[5] in fields and along roadsides[6]. Clay soils in Texas[7].
Medicinal: The dried root is an excellent purgative, though it sometimes causes vomiting, it opens the body when other more violent purgatives fail to move it[8][9][6]. The plant has irritating and uncertain qualities and so is seldom used in herbal medicine[8].
A tea made from the leaves is used in the treatment of diabetes[6].
An infusion of the bruised roots has been taken in the treatment of urinary diseases[10].
The juice of the plant has been rubbed on the skin as a treatment for sores, eruptions etc, especially on children's heads[10].
A decoction of the plant, mixed with other herbs (these are not specified) has been used in the treatment of cancer[10].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The sap contains a latex which is toxic on ingestion and highly irritant externally, causing photosensitive skin reactions and severe inflammation, especially on contact with eyes or open cuts. The toxicity can remain high even in dried plant material[200
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ Carruthers, S. Alternative Enterprises for Agriculture in the UK. Centre for Agricultural Strategy, Univ. of Reading, 1986.
- ↑ Britton, Nathaniel and Addison Brown. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1970.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Coffey, Timothy. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File, 1993.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.