Mercurialis perennis - Dog's Mercury

Family:	Euphorbiaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	0.3
Width:	1
Synonyms:
Range:	Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to Spain and S.W. Asia.

Mercurialis perennis (Dog's Mercury) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 0.3m and a width of 1m . It has a fast growth rate. It has a hardness rating of 4and is vunerable to frost.
Dog's Mercury will flower in August to October. the seeds ripen from November to December
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 Wind, flies

Soil Information

Dog's 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
Dog's Mercury prefers moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Dog's Mercury can grow in full or semi shaded areas.

Woods and shady places, usually in beech and oak woods, avoiding acid soils[4, 9, 13, 17, 31].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Grows within a woodland garden
• Is suited to a deeply shaded location

Cultivation Details

Prefers a humus rich soil[13, 17]. Dog's mercury is a very invasive and common hedgerow plant, it should not be necessary to cultivate it. Male and female plants usually grow in separate clumps, the females being less common[4]. The leaves contain trimethylamine and, in the early stages of putrefaction or when bruised, they give off the smell of rotting fish[245]. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 0/5
None known

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 1/5
Dog's mercury is poisonous in the fresh state, though thorough drying or heating is said to destroy the poisonous principle[4]. The fresh juice of the whole plant is emetic, ophthalmic and purgative. It is used externally to treat women's complaints, ear and eye problems, warts and sores[4, 9, 21]. A lotion made from the plant is used for antiseptic external dressings[4]. 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.
• 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 - the plant shouldn't need any help in spreading itself, but if you are desperate to be completely overrun by it then you could spread the seed around when it is ripe in late spring and early summer. Division - once again, there really is no need to help the plant but you can divide the roots at any time of the year.

Scented parts of the plants

Leaves : Crushed

Known Hazards

All parts of the plant are poisonous[4, 65, 76].

Other Uses

A fine blue dye is obtained from the leaves[1, 4, 115], it is turned red by acids and destroyed by alkalis but is otherwise permanent[115]. It resembles indigo[115]. A yellow dye is obtained from the leaves[61]. The seed is a potential source of a very good drying oil[61].

• Dye - Plants that provide dyes.
• 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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