Herb: Wild Spurge


Latin name: Euphorbia corollata


Family: Euphorbiaceae (Spurge Family)



Medicinal use of Wild Spurge:

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. The plant has irritating and uncertain qualities and so is seldom used in herbal medicine. A tea made from the leaves is used in the treatment of diabetes. An infusion of the bruised roots has been taken in the treatment of urinary diseases. The juice of the plant has been rubbed on the skin as a treatment for sores, eruptions etc, especially on children's heads. A decoction of the plant, mixed with other herbs (these are not specified) has been used in the treatment of cancer.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
July to
October

Habitat of the herb:

Dry soils in fields and along roadsides. Clay soils in Texas.

Propagation of Wild Spurge:

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 of the herb:

Dry soils in fields and along roadsides. Clay soils in Texas.

Known hazards of Euphorbia corollata:

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. Prolonged and regular contact with the sap is inadvisable because of its carcinogenic nature.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.