Euphorbia peplus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Malpighiales |
Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
Genus: | Euphorbia |
Species: | E. peplus
|
Binomial name | |
Euphorbia peplus |
Euphorbia peplus (petty spurge, [1] [2] radium weed, [2] cancer weed, [2] or milkweed), [2] is a species of Euphorbia, native to most of Europe, northern Africa and western Asia, where it typically grows in cultivated arable land, gardens and other disturbed land. [1] [3] [4]
Outside of its native range it is very widely naturalised and often invasive, including in Australia, New Zealand, North America and other countries in temperate and sub-tropical regions. [1]
It is an annual plant growing to 5–30 cm (2–12 in) tall (most plants growing as weeds of cultivation tend towards the smaller end), with smooth hairless stems. The leaves are stalked, oval-acute, 1–3 cm (0.4–1.2 in) long, with untoothed margin. It has green flowers in three-rayed umbels. The glands typically of Euphorbia are kidney-shaped, and have long thin horns. [4]
var. minima has stems low, ascending, branchy, leaves roundish, seeds smaller 1-1.4 mm (vs. 1.3-1.6 mm of var. peplus), [5] predominantly countries on the north edge of the Mediterranean ( PoWo Map)
The plant's sap is toxic to rapidly replicating human tissue, and has long been used as a traditional remedy for common skin lesions. [6] The active ingredient in the sap is a diterpene ester called ingenol mebutate.
A pharmaceutical-grade ingenol mebutate gel has approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of actinic keratosis. [6] [7] [8]
In Germany, recent studies have linked Euphorbia peplus with the virtual elimination of squamous cell skin cancer. [9]
Euphorbia peplus | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Malpighiales |
Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
Genus: | Euphorbia |
Species: | E. peplus
|
Binomial name | |
Euphorbia peplus |
Euphorbia peplus (petty spurge, [1] [2] radium weed, [2] cancer weed, [2] or milkweed), [2] is a species of Euphorbia, native to most of Europe, northern Africa and western Asia, where it typically grows in cultivated arable land, gardens and other disturbed land. [1] [3] [4]
Outside of its native range it is very widely naturalised and often invasive, including in Australia, New Zealand, North America and other countries in temperate and sub-tropical regions. [1]
It is an annual plant growing to 5–30 cm (2–12 in) tall (most plants growing as weeds of cultivation tend towards the smaller end), with smooth hairless stems. The leaves are stalked, oval-acute, 1–3 cm (0.4–1.2 in) long, with untoothed margin. It has green flowers in three-rayed umbels. The glands typically of Euphorbia are kidney-shaped, and have long thin horns. [4]
var. minima has stems low, ascending, branchy, leaves roundish, seeds smaller 1-1.4 mm (vs. 1.3-1.6 mm of var. peplus), [5] predominantly countries on the north edge of the Mediterranean ( PoWo Map)
The plant's sap is toxic to rapidly replicating human tissue, and has long been used as a traditional remedy for common skin lesions. [6] The active ingredient in the sap is a diterpene ester called ingenol mebutate.
A pharmaceutical-grade ingenol mebutate gel has approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of actinic keratosis. [6] [7] [8]
In Germany, recent studies have linked Euphorbia peplus with the virtual elimination of squamous cell skin cancer. [9]