Annual Mercury

At a glance

Origin / distribution: Turkey, US, Spain, Algeria, Europe

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Cholagogue, Emetic, Emmenagogue, Hydragogue

Science studied: CYANOGENIC-GLUCOSIDES, EO, FAT, GLUCOSE

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Euphorbiaceae

Scientific name: Mercurialis annua

Common names: Annual Mercury, Annual Dog's Mercury, Annual mercury, Bresych y Cŵn Blynyddol, Bresych-y-Cŵn Blynyddol, Bresychen-y-Cŵn Flynyddol, Clais yr Hydd Blynyddol, Einjaehriges Bingelkraut, Einjähriges Bingelkraut, Enårig bingelurt

POWO: 352179-1 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in Turkey, US, Spain, Algeria, Europe.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Cholagogue
• Emetic
• Emmenagogue
• Hydragogue
• Poison
• Purgative
• Tumor
• Cyanogenetic

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• Turkey
• US
• Spain
• Algeria
• Europe

Documented cultural uses

• Cholagogue
• Emetic
• Emmenagogue
• Hydragogue
• Poison
• Purgative
• Tumor
• Cyanogenetic
• Diuretic
• Laxative
• Vermifuge

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Cholagogue · Turkey · "
• Emetic · Turkey · "
• Emmenagogue · Turkey · "
• Hydragogue · Turkey · "
• Poison · US · "
• Purgative · Spain · "
• Tumor · Algeria · "
• Tumor · Europe · "
• Poison · Turkey · "
• Cyanogenetic · US · "
• Diuretic · Turkey · "
• Laxative · Turkey · "
• Vermifuge · Turkey · "

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Phytochemical Analysis of Moroccan Mercurialis annua L. and Its Nephroprotective Activity: Evidence Supporting Traditional Renal Uses. · 2026 source ↗
• A preliminary assessment of the genome sequence of the Annual Mercury, <i>Mercurialis annua</i> · 2024 source ↗
• The genome sequence of the Annual Mercury, Mercurialis annua L., 1753 (Euphorbiaceae) · 2024 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• CYANOGENIC-GLUCOSIDES
• EO
• FAT
• GLUCOSE
• ISOAMYL-AMINE
• ISOBUTYL-AMINE
• ISORHAMNETIN
• MERCURIALIN
• METHYL-AMINE
• PROPYLAMINE
• RHAMNOSE
• RUTIN
• TANNIN
• XYLOSE
• SAPONINS
• ETHYL-AMINE

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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