Dog's Mercury
Mercurialis perennis
Dog's mercury - fetid-smelling perennial with a round, grooved stem. The roughish, dark green
leaves are opposite and ovate with serrated edges. Small greenish flowers grow
from the leaf axils, just before the leaves have fully opened, from early to late spring.
In old herbals dog's mercury is credited with remarkable healing powers,
allegedly revealed by the Roman god Mercury. Dog's mercury is a poisonous plant with an acrid juice that once
served as an antiseptic and a wart remover. Today, dog's mercury is little used.
HABITAT AND CULTIVATION
European native common in woods and shady ground. Dog's mercury grows wild in the eastern USA.
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