Herb: Mountain Snow


Latin name: Euphorbia marginata


Family: Euphorbiaceae (Spurge Family)



Medicinal use of Mountain Snow:

Astringent, women's complaints. Used in the treatment of leucorrhoea. An infusion of the crushed leaves has been used as a liniment in the treatment of swellings. An infusion of the plant has been used to increase milk flow in nursing mothers. Any medicinal use of this plant should be carried out with great care, see the notes above on toxicity.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Annual


Height:
60 cm
(2 feet)

Flowering:
September

Habitat of the herb:

Infrequent to locally abundant, the plant has a liking for calcareous soils of prairies, roadsides, pastures and waste places.

Edible parts of Mountain Snow:

A latex from the plant is used for chewing. Caution is advised, see the notes on toxicity above.

Propagation of the herb:

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

Cultivation of Mountain Snow:

Infrequent to locally abundant, the plant has a liking for calcareous soils of prairies, roadsides, pastures and waste places.

Known hazards of Euphorbia marginata:

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.