Mercurialis annua

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Malpighiales

Familia: Euphorbiaceae
Subfamilia: Acalyphoideae
Tribus: Acalypheae
Genus: Mercurialis
Species: Mercurialis annua
Name

Mercurialis annua L., 1753

Synonyms

Homotypic
Mercurialis annua var. genuina Müll.Arg. in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 15(2): 797 (1866), not validly publ.
Synema annuum (L.) Dulac, Fl. Hautes-Pyrénées: 154 (1867).
Mercurialis annua var. typica Fiori in A.Fiori & al., Fl. Italia 2: 291 (1901), not validly publ.
Mercurialis annua subvar. euannua Litard. in J.I.Briquet, Prodr. Fl. Corse 2, 2: 66 (1935), not validly publ.
Heterotypic
Mercurialis ambigua L.f., Dec. Pl. Hort. Upsal. 1: 15 (1762).
Mercurialis annua var. ambigua (L.f.) Mérat, Nouv. Fl. Env. Paris: 402 (1812).
Mercurialis ciliata C.Presl in J.S.Presl & C.B.Presl, Delic. Prag.: 56 (1822).
Mercurialis annua var. angustifolia Gaudin, Fl. Helv. 6: 296 (1830).
Discoplis serrata Raf., New Fl. 4: 9 (1838).
Mercurialis annua var. capillacea Guépin, Fl. Maine et Loire, ed. 3: 401 (1845).
Mercurialis ladanum Hartm., Bot. Not. 1849: 67 (1849).
Mercurialis annua f. cordata Wirtg., Flora 33: 82 (1850).
Mercurialis annua f. cuneatolanceolata Wirtg., Flora 33: 82 (1850).
Mercurialis annua f. lanceolata Wirtg., Flora 33: 82 (1850).
Mercurialis annua f. ovata Wirtg., Flora 33: 82 (1850).
Mercurialis annua var. dioica Moris, Fl. Sardoa 3: 478 (1859).
Mercurialis annua var. monoica Moris, Fl. Sardoa 3: 478 (1859).
Mercurialis annua lusus ambigua (L.f.) Müll.Arg. in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 15(2): 797 (1866).
Mercurialis annua var. laciniata Müll.Arg. in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 15(2): 797 (1866).
Mercurialis annua var. transsylvanica Schur, Enum. Pl. Transsilv.: 600 (1866).
Mercurialis annua var. camberiensis Chabert, Bull. Soc. Bot. France 38: 300 (1881).
Mercurialis annua subsp. ambigua (L.f.) Arcang., Comp. Fl. Ital.: 622 (1882).
Mercurialis pinnatifida Sennen, Bol. Soc. Aragonesa Ci. Nat. 8: 146 (1909).
Mercurialis annua var. variegata Löhr, Bot. Zeitung, 2. Abt. 68: 62 (1910).
Mercurialis annua f. verticillata Bolzon, Nuovo Giorn. Bot. Ital., n.s., 20: 332 (1913).
Mercurialis annua f. ciliata (C.Presl) Pax & K.Hoffm. in H.G.A.Engler (ed.), Pflanzenr., IV, 147, VII: 274 (1914).
Mercurialis annua var. sancti-marini Pamp., Boll. Mus. Republ. San Marino 4: 116 (1920).
Mercurialis tarraconensis Sennen, Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon, n.s., 72: 16 (1925 publ. 1926).
Mercurialis annua subvar. serrata Litard. in J.I.Briquet, Prodr. Fl. Corse 2: 2 (1935).
Mercurialis monoica (Moris) B.M.Durand, Ann. Sci. Nat., Bot. Biol. Vég., sér. 12, 4: 727 (1963).

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Europe
Albania; Baleares; Belarus; Belgium; Bulgaria; Central European Rus; Corse; Cyprus; Czechoslovakia; Denmark; East Aegean Is.; France; Germany; Great Britain; Greece; Hungary; Italy; Kriti; Krym; Poland; Romania; Sardegna; Sicilia; Ukraine; Yugoslavia
Continental: Africa
Algeria; Azores; Canary Is.; Cape Provinces; Egypt; Eritrea; Libya; Madeira; Morocco; Spain; Switzerland
Continental: Asie
Iran; Iraq; Lebanon-Syria; Saudi Arabia; Sinai; Tunisia; Turkey

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Linnaeus, C. 1753. Species plantarum, exhibentes plantas rite cognitas, ad genera relatas, cum differentiis specificis, nominibus trivialibus, synonymis selectis, locis natalibus, secundum systema sexuale digestas. Tomus II. Pp. 561–1200, [1–30, index], [1, err.]. Impensis Laurentii Salvii, Holmiae [Stockholm]. BHL Reference page. : 1035.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Mercurialis annua in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 Jun 06. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2020. Mercurialis annua. Published online. Accessed: Jun 06 2020.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Mercurialis annua in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 Jun 06. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2020. Mercurialis annua. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2020 Jun 06.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Mercurialis annua in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 07-Oct-06.

Vernacular names
العربية: حلبوب حولي
azərbaycanca: Birillik zümrüdçiçəyi
català: Malcoratge, Morquerol, Melcoratge
čeština: bažanka roční
Cymraeg: Bresychen-y-cŵn flynyddol
Deutsch: Einjähriges Bingelkraut

Ελληνικά, Κυπριακά: Σκυλόχορτο, Σκαρολάχανο

English: annual mercury
español: bledos mercuriales, malcoraje, mercurial, mercurial hembra, mercurial macho, mercurial medicinal, mercurial negra, mercurial negro, mercurial rastrero silvestre, mercurial rastrero testiculado, mercuriales, mercuriales hembras, mercuriales machos, ortiga mansa, ortiga muerta, ortiguilla muerta
suomi: Rikkasinijuuri
français: Mercuriale annuelle
hornjoserbsce: Jednolětny šćěr, Mały šćěr
magyar: Egynyári szélfű
Nederlands: Eenjarig bingelkruid, Eénjarig bingelkruid
polski: Szczyr roczny
português: barradoiro, erva-mercúrio, mercurial, mercurial-anual, urtiga-bastarda, urtiga-morta
slovenčina: bažanka ročná
svenska: Grenbingel
walon: Schitroûle

Mercurialis annua is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family Euphorbiaceae known by the common name annual mercury or (rarely) French mercury.[1] It is native to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East[2][3] but it is known on many other continents as an introduced species.

Description

This is an annual herb growing 10 to 70 centimeters tall with oppositely arranged, stipulate oval leaves each a few centimeters long. The male flowers are borne in spikelike clusters sprouting from leaf axils, and female flowers grow at leaf axils in clusters of 2 or 3. The fruit is a bristly schizocarp 2 or 3 millimeters wide containing shiny, pitted seeds.[4][5]

The species is monoecious or androdioecious.[6]

A plant of Mercurialis annua can produce up to 135 million pollen grains.
Mercurialis annua fruit
Phytochemistry

Isorhamnetin-3-rutinoside-4′-glucoside, rutin, narcissin (Isorhamnetin 3-rutinoside), quercetin-3-(2G-glucosyl)-rutinoside and isorhamnetin-3-rutinoside-7-glucoside can be isolated from the methanolic extract of M. annua.[7] Historically, the First Nations people of eastern Canada used the juices of the plant as a balm for wounds.[8]
Distribution and habitat

Mercurialis annua grows in many types of open habitat, including disturbed areas, from sea level to 1400 m.[4][5]
References

Willich, Anthony Florian Madinger (1802). "French-Mercury" . Domestic Encyclopædia (1802) – via Wikisource.
Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
Altervista Flora Italiana, Mercorella comune, ortiga muerta, urtiga-morta, Einjähriges Bingelkraut, mercuriale annuelle, Annual Mercury, Mercurialis annua L. includes photos, drawings, and a European distribution map
Mayfield, Mark H.; Webster, Grady L. (2016). "Mercurialis annua". Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
Messina, Antonio (2014). "Mercurialis annua". Acta plantarum. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
PANNELL, JOHN R.; OBBARD, DARREN J.; BUGGS, RICHARD J. A. (2004-08-01). "Polyploidy and the sexual system: what can we learn from Mercurialis annua?". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 82 (4): 547–560. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.2004.00340.x. ISSN 0024-4066.
Phytochemical investigation on Mercurialis annua. R Aquino, I Behar, M D'agostino, F De Simone, O Schettino and C Pizza, doi:10.1016/0305-1978(87)90042-1
Delâge, Denys (2006). "Aboriginal Influence on the Canadians and French at the time of New France". In Christie, Gordon (ed.). Aboriginality and Governance: A Multidisciplinary Approach. Penticton Indian Reserve, British Columbia: Theytus Books. p. 35. ISBN 1894778243.

Plants of Cyprus