Mercurialis annua - Annual Mercury

Family:	Euphorbiaceae
Habit:	Annual
Height:	0.5
Synonyms:
Range:	Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to the Mediterranean. Azores.

Mercurialis annua (Annual Mercury) is a Annual which grows to a height of 0.5m . It has a hardness rating of 0and is vunerable to frost.
Annual Mercury will flower in January to April. The flowers from this plant are dioecious (each plant is either male or female, thus both genders need to be present to seed) and they are pollinated by Bees, flies, wind

Soil Information

Annual Mercury will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Annual Mercury prefers moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Annual Mercury should not be planted in shady areas.

Waste places[17]. A common weed of cultivated soils, but it avoids acid soils[1].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Will grow in a hedge row

Cultivation Details

A common garden weed in Britain, it should need little encouragement. When well suited, it tends to spread itself around too freely for most people's tastes[4]. It dislikes growing in shady positions. Plants are normally dioecious, though monoecious plants are sometimes found[4]. Male and female plants must normally be grown if seed is required.

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 1/5
Leaves - cooked[2, 4, 66, 105]. They were at one time quite popular, being used like spinach[4]. The acrid principle is said to be destroyed by thoroughly boiling the leaves[4]. The raw leaves are poisonous[66]. It is probably wise not to eat the leaves of this plant[9].

• Leaves -

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 1/5
The whole plant, and especially the juice, is emetic, emollient and purgative. It is used externally to treat women's complaints, ear and eye problems, warts and sores[4, 9]. A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant[9]. It is used in the treatment of rheumatism, dropsy, diarrhoea and disorders of the gall bladder and liver[9].

• Emetic - Induces vomiting.
• Emollient - Softens the skin, causing warmth and moisture.
• Homeopathy - A plant used in homeopathic treatments.
• Ophthalmic - Treats eye complaints.
• Purgative - A drastic laxative causing a cleansing or watery evacuation of the bowels, usually with a griping pain.
• Warts - Used in the treatment of warts, corns etc.
• Women's complaints - A very vague title, it deals with a miscellany of problems peculiar to the female sex.

Propagation

Seed - sow spring or autumn in situ.

Known Hazards

The plant is poisonous, but less so than the perennial M. perennis[4, 65, 66, 76].

Other Uses

This species is a potential source of a very good drying oil[61].

• Oil - Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Flora of the British Isles.
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Author: Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Rating:
Publisher : A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
Date of Publication : 1962

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