Herb latin name: Euphorbia humifusa


Family: Euphorbiaceae (Spurge Family)



Medicinal use of Euphorbia humifusa:

Anthelmintic, vulnerary. The whole plant is depurative, diuretic and styptic. A decoction is used in the treatment of jaundice, dysentery, enteritis, poisonous snake bites and traumatic bleeding.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Annual


Height:
15 cm
(6 inches)

Habitat of the herb:

Stony or disturbed ground.

Edible parts of Euphorbia humifusa:

Young shoots - cooked. An emergency food, used when all else fails and I would have to be very desperate to eat it even then.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow spring in situ. Germination usually takes place within 2 - 3 weeks at 20°C.

Cultivation of Euphorbia humifusa:

Stony or disturbed ground.

Known hazards of Euphorbia humifusa:

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.