Dog's Mercury
Taken at Strathclyde Park on 7th April 2020 using Panasonic Lumix LX5 in macro mode.
Fact File
 
Dogs Mercury
Taken Baron's Haugh on 23rd April 2020 using Panasonic Lumix LX5  in macro mode. Fact File
Dog's Mercury
Dog's Mercury.
Species:
Order:
Family:
Habit:
AKA:
Mercurialis perennis.
Malpighiales.
Euphorbiaceae.

Herbacious perennial.

Habitat:

Blooms:
Height:
Feature:

Deep shade or semi-shade, where its dense growth
may shade out other woodland flowers .
March - April.
A metre per year.
Dog's mercury is highly poisonous.
Methylamine and trimethylamine are thought to be present, together with a volatile oil and saponins. Symptoms of poisoning appear within a few hours; they can include vomiting, pain, gastric and kidney inflammation, and
sometimes inflammation of the cheeks and jaw and drowsiness. The first-known account of this phenomenon probably dates from 1693, when a family of five became seriously ill as a result of eating the plant (after boiling and frying it); Sadly, one of the children died some days later as a result