Euphorbia helioscopia, the sun spurge, growing wild on the hill above my school. Read more below about this fascinating herb. Learn more about our online courses on herbal medicine & aromatherapy in jointheflow.net Discover my books on bodywork and more: amzn.to/3xhaNey It is a herbaceous annual plant, native to most of Europe, northern Africa, and eastward through most of Asia. Folk names include wart spurge, umbrella milkweed and madwoman's milk. In Chinese medicine, it is known as ze qi. It belongs to the category " Herbs that Transform Phlegm and Stop Coughing". It is used externally (e.g. in scrofula ointments) and internally. However, it does have some toxicity, and caution is needed. The sap contains a latex which is toxic on ingestion and highly irritant externally, causing photosensitive skin reactions and severe inflammation, especially on contact with eyes or open cuts. The toxicity can remain high even in dried plant material (pfaf.org). According to Dan Bensky: "An interesting food therapy for abdominal edema and ascites, noted by the contemporary physician Zhou FengWu, calls for the patient to boil two eggs in water with 15g of Euphorbiae helioscopiae Herba (ze' qi). The liquid is discarded and the eggs are eaten. This is to be repeated daily. He also had some concerns about this herb, noting, "Generally, the dosage should not be high, as overdosage can lead to adverse reactions such as pallor, weakness of the limbs, vertigo, nausea, and vomiting." Photo taken by me, all rights reserved. #euphorbia #euphorbiahelioscopia #sunspurge #toxicplants #toxicherbs #poisonousplants #chineseherbs #tcm #chineseherbalmedicine #traditionalchinesemedicine #wildmedicine #greekflora #greekherbs #herbnerd #wildherbs #botany #botanicalmedicine #medicinalherbs #myherbalstudies #healingherbs #foraging #herbalistsofinstagram #herbalremedies #primitiveskills #survivalskills #urbanherbalist #herbalremedies #apothecary #ethnobotany #ethnobotanist (at Athens, Greece) https://www.instagram.com/p/ChZIyn9LC-3/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=