HYPP-A Unité de Malherbologie & Agronomie
Weed Science & Agronomy
INRA-Dijon

Bayer Code : meran

Scientific name: Mercurialis annua L.

Synonym(s) of Sc. name:

Classification: Euphorbiaceae, Dicotyledonous

Common name: annual mercury

Synonym(s) of Common name:

Name per country: DE : Einjähriges Bingelkraut ; ES : ortiga muerta ; FR : mercuriale annuelle ; IT : mercorella comune ; PT : urtiga-morta ; EN : annual mercury ; NL : tuinbingelkruid, NL : bengelkruid ;

Biological type: Annual

Seed snapshot Seed:

.

Seedling snapshotSeedling snapshot Seedling:

- Cotyledons spatulate.

- Leaves entire, elliptic to ovate, regularly toothed.

Adult plant snapshotAdult plant snapshot Adult plant:

- Height: 10-40 cm. Plant glabrescent with tap-root.

- Stem ascending or spreading, obtuse in section, usually branching at the axil of cotyledons; thick nodes.

- Leaves opposite, rolled cornet-like at the base at the beginning, ovate, toothed. Leaves long-stalked, light-green, ovate-elongate or rounded at the base, slightly notched margin, often ciliate. In contrast to the other Euphorbiaceae, no latex.

- Flowers : Male flowers yellowish on thin peduncle in spike and female flowers green, axillary, solitary or 2-3 gathered, subsessile (plant dioecious ).

- Fruit : capsule broad, hispid. Seeds ovate to spherical, reticulate, light-brown, 2 mm.

- Plant toxic.

- Biological type: annual.

Ecological profile (click on flags): BeneLux   Present     Germany  Present     Spain  Present     France  Present     Great Britain  Rare     Italy  Present     Portugal  Present    

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