Euphorbia helioscopia
| Euphorbia helioscopia | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Mid Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Euphorbia helioscopia (common name: madwoman's milk)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring or late summer in situ. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 3 weeks at 20°c.
Cultivation: Prefers a light well-drained moderately rich loam in an open position[1]. Succeeds in dry soils.
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[2].
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[3].
Range: Europe, including Britain, south to the Mediterranean and east to central Asia.
Habitat: Common in cultivated ground throughout Britain to an altitude of 450 metres[4].
Edibility: Young stems - cooked[5][6][7]. Caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Young leaves are used as a tea substitute[5][7].
Medicinal: Antiperiodic[8].
The leaves and stems are febrifuge and vermifuge[9].
The root is anthelmintic[10].
The plant is cathartic[10]. It has anticancer properties[9].
The milky sap is applied externally to skin eruptions[10].
The seeds, mixed with roasted pepper, have been used in the treatment of cholera[10]. The oil from the seeds has purgative properties[10].
Pollinators: Flies
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
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
Also Known As: E. lunulata.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Read, Bernard. Famine Foods Listed in the Chiu Huang Pen Ts'ao. Taipei Southern Materials Centre, 1977.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Stuart, George. Chinese Materia Medica. Taipei Southern Materials Centre.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Duke, James and Edward Ayensu. Medicinal Plants of China. Reference Publications, 1985.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 Chopra, R. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, 1986.