Hello,

This is a first post! I'm hoping someone with some expertise would be able to solve something for me?

I have had a group of strange plants growing at the front of my house which looked really unusual so last year I dug one of them up and re potted in the garden (as they look like they are taking over - after one year roots were about 3cm thick).

Everyone who sees it comments on how unusual it is but nobody seems to know WHAT it is - and I suspect its something sinister ;-)

Some more info: They have just began to flower this year and when leaves / branches are cut they secrete a lot of milk! Also when i cut branches or leaves off; the surrounding leaves quickly droop for a couple of days then recover.

Pictures below...

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/...six/photo1.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/...six/photo2.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/...six/photo3.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/...six/photo4.jpg
http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/...six/photo5.jpg

Any help gratefully received!

Thanks.

"sturmanskie" wrote
in message ...

Hello,

This is a first post! I'm hoping someone with some
expertise would be
able to solve something for me?

I have had a group of strange plants growing at the front
of my house
which looked really unusual so last year I dug one of them
up and re
potted in the garden (as they look like they are taking
over - after one
year roots were about 3cm thick).

Everyone who sees it comments on how unusual it is but
nobody seems to
know WHAT it is - and I suspect its something sinister ;-)

Some more info: They have just began to flower this year
and when leaves
/ branches are cut they secrete a lot of milk! Also when i
cut branches
or leaves off; the surrounding leaves quickly droop for a
couple of days
then recover.

Pictures below...

http://tinyurl.com/bsx32mk
http://tinyurl.com/6qmywfg
http://tinyurl.com/crj8odf
http://tinyurl.com/6rhbmkf
http://tinyurl.com/7qmcg8r

Any help gratefully received!

Euphorbia lathyrus, or caper spurge, or mole plant -
believed to deter moles.

someone

On 28/05/2012 22:26, someone wrote:
. uk wrote
in message ...

Hello,

This is a first post! I'm hoping someone with some
expertise would be
able to solve something for me?

I have had a group of strange plants growing at the front
of my house
which looked really unusual so last year I dug one of them
up and re
potted in the garden (as they look like they are taking
over - after one
year roots were about 3cm thick).

Everyone who sees it comments on how unusual it is but
nobody seems to
know WHAT it is - and I suspect its something sinister ;-)

Some more info: They have just began to flower this year
and when leaves
/ branches are cut they secrete a lot of milk! Also when i
cut branches
or leaves off; the surrounding leaves quickly droop for a
couple of days
then recover.

Pictures below...

http://tinyurl.com/bsx32mk
http://tinyurl.com/6qmywfg
http://tinyurl.com/crj8odf
http://tinyurl.com/6rhbmkf
http://tinyurl.com/7qmcg8r

Any help gratefully received!

Euphorbia lathyrus, or caper spurge, or mole plant -
believed to deter moles.

someone




I will only add that the 'sinister' bit is that it's quite toxic. That
milky sap or 'latex' is a severe skin irritant, especially in strong
sunlight. It is wise to wear gloves when handling it.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

Euphorbia lathyris, Caper Spurge, relative of Poinsettia, believed by some to deter moles.

The common name is because the seed capsules look a bit like capers, but the plant is poisonous, and the sap can cause skin rashes.

In the north of England its a biennial, flowering the second year and then dying off. I think in the south it may be perennial.

The flowers are interesting if you look closely - a ring of male "flowers" with the female "flower" a sort of ball on a stalk, which later enlarges as the seed capsule.

On 28/05/2012 23:20, Sacha wrote:
On 2012-05-28 22:52:48 +0100, Spider said:

On 28/05/2012 22:26, someone wrote:
. uk wrote
in message ...

Pictures below...

http://tinyurl.com/bsx32mk
http://tinyurl.com/6qmywfg
http://tinyurl.com/crj8odf
http://tinyurl.com/6rhbmkf
http://tinyurl.com/7qmcg8r

Any help gratefully received!

Euphorbia lathyrus, or caper spurge, or mole plant -
believed to deter moles.


I will only add that the 'sinister' bit is that it's quite toxic. That
milky sap or 'latex' is a severe skin irritant, especially in strong
sunlight. It is wise to wear gloves when handling it.

It also seeds itself about like a mad thing, so wear gloves and pull out
those you don't want.

And don't let it set seed. It is otherwise quite architectural as a
plant. And as others have said beware of all euphorbia for their caustic
milky sap (and milky saps in general) which may cause dermititis in
sensitive skin when combined with sunlight. It is also excruciatingly
painful in the eyes and so wash your hands very well after working on it
(or better wear gloves and eye protection).

Lettuce is the only obvious safe exception with milky sap.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On Mon, 28 May 2012 22:52:48 +0100, Spider wrote:

On 28/05/2012 22:26, someone wrote:
. uk wrote
in message ...

Hello,

This is a first post! I'm hoping someone with some
expertise would be
able to solve something for me?

I have had a group of strange plants growing at the front
of my house
which looked really unusual so last year I dug one of them
up and re
potted in the garden (as they look like they are taking
over - after one
year roots were about 3cm thick).

Everyone who sees it comments on how unusual it is but
nobody seems to
know WHAT it is - and I suspect its something sinister ;-)

Some more info: They have just began to flower this year
and when leaves
/ branches are cut they secrete a lot of milk! Also when i
cut branches
or leaves off; the surrounding leaves quickly droop for a
couple of days
then recover.

Pictures below...

http://tinyurl.com/bsx32mk
http://tinyurl.com/6qmywfg
http://tinyurl.com/crj8odf
http://tinyurl.com/6rhbmkf
http://tinyurl.com/7qmcg8r

Any help gratefully received!

Euphorbia lathyrus, or caper spurge, or mole plant -
believed to deter moles.

someone




I will only add that the 'sinister' bit is that it's quite toxic. That
milky sap or 'latex' is a severe skin irritant, especially in strong
sunlight. It is wise to wear gloves when handling it.

Which is why it's called the mole plant.
It is said that the sap was used to burn off moles on the skin. It
certainly does not deter moles in the ground in my experience. They
just go round it.

Pam in Bristol

In article ,
Spider wrote:

I will only add that the 'sinister' bit is that it's quite toxic. That
milky sap or 'latex' is a severe skin irritant, especially in strong
sunlight. It is wise to wear gloves when handling it.

Not 'severe' - it's nothing extreme in that respect. As Martin
Brown points out, the real risk is getting it in your eyes.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article , Sacha wrote:

I will only add that the 'sinister' bit is that it's quite toxic. That
milky sap or 'latex' is a severe skin irritant, especially in strong
sunlight. It is wise to wear gloves when handling it.

Not 'severe' - it's nothing extreme in that respect. As Martin
Brown points out, the real risk is getting it in your eyes.

Sensitivity will depend on the individual. Just recently I touched the
leaves of a Euphorbia and then, a little later, my mouth. For about an
hour my lips were tingling and a bit numb. I hadn't touched any actual
sap at all.

Oh yes, but it's STILL not severe! There are quite a few exotics
that are so nasty that they should not be planted where children
or other unsuspecting people might brush against them.

Euphorbia is one of the more irritant of common UK plants, but no
more than that.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article ,
Martin wrote:

Euphorbia is one of the more irritant of common UK plants, but no
more than that.

It seems to be capable of causing blindness if the latex gets in the
eyes.

Most irritants are, including several foodstuffs, many household
chemicals, and several common 'non-reactive' materials.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article , says...

In article ,
Spider wrote:

I will only add that the 'sinister' bit is that it's quite toxic. That
milky sap or 'latex' is a severe skin irritant, especially in strong
sunlight. It is wise to wear gloves when handling it.

Not 'severe' - it's nothing extreme in that respect.

In *some* people euphorbia causes a temporary very itchy rash of large
fluid filled blisters which eventually burst; followed by longterm
photosensitivity on the same site. ie, whenever the healed skin is exposed
to sun, the blister reaction recurs all over again (without any
euphorbia contact).. IME this recurrent photosensitivity can last a year
or more, and causes skin darkening /discolouring that lasts even longer.

I certainly wouldnt want children or pets crashing into my large
euphorbias so I grow the plants in the centre of beds, away from paths
and unwary visitors.

Janet

In article ,
lid says...

On Tue, 29 May 2012 10:22:49 +0100 (BST), wrote:

In article , Sacha wrote:

I will only add that the 'sinister' bit is that it's quite toxic. That
milky sap or 'latex' is a severe skin irritant, especially in strong
sunlight. It is wise to wear gloves when handling it.

Not 'severe' - it's nothing extreme in that respect. As Martin
Brown points out, the real risk is getting it in your eyes.

Sensitivity will depend on the individual. Just recently I touched the
leaves of a Euphorbia and then, a little later, my mouth. For about an
hour my lips were tingling and a bit numb. I hadn't touched any actual
sap at all.

Oh yes, but it's STILL not severe! There are quite a few exotics
that are so nasty that they should not be planted where children
or other unsuspecting people might brush against them.

Euphorbia is one of the more irritant of common UK plants, but no
more than that.

It seems to be capable of causing blindness if the latex gets in the
eyes.

http://www.theamateursdigest.com/epoisons.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphorbia

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10636407

The spectrum of ocular inflammation caused by euphorbia plant sap.
Eke T, Al-Husainy S, Raynor MK.
Source

Department of Ophthalmology, Leicester Royal Infirmary, United Kingdom.

...
"These cases illustrate the range of severity of Euphorbia sap
keratouveitis. The condition seems to be self-limiting when managed
supportively. People who work with Euphorbia plant species should wear eye
protection. Clinicians managing keratopathy caused by Euphorbia species
should be aware of the danger of sight-threatening infection and uveitis,
particularly during the first few days."

Janet

In article ,
Janet wrote:

I will only add that the 'sinister' bit is that it's quite toxic. That
milky sap or 'latex' is a severe skin irritant, especially in strong
sunlight. It is wise to wear gloves when handling it.

Not 'severe' - it's nothing extreme in that respect.

In *some* people euphorbia causes a temporary very itchy rash of large
fluid filled blisters which eventually burst; followed by longterm
photosensitivity on the same site. ie, whenever the healed skin is exposed
to sun, the blister reaction recurs all over again (without any
euphorbia contact).. IME this recurrent photosensitivity can last a year
or more, and causes skin darkening /discolouring that lasts even longer.

And similar remarks are true of a massive number of other things
that are treated very casually, not excluding many of the washing
powders on the market. There's no point is being paranoid about
one or two risks and ignoring far more, very comparable, ones.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 29/05/2012 15:35, wrote:
In ,
wrote:

I will only add that the 'sinister' bit is that it's quite toxic. That
milky sap or 'latex' is a severe skin irritant, especially in strong
sunlight. It is wise to wear gloves when handling it.

Not 'severe' - it's nothing extreme in that respect.

In *some* people euphorbia causes a temporary very itchy rash of large
fluid filled blisters which eventually burst; followed by longterm
photosensitivity on the same site. ie, whenever the healed skin is exposed
to sun, the blister reaction recurs all over again (without any
euphorbia contact).. IME this recurrent photosensitivity can last a year
or more, and causes skin darkening /discolouring that lasts even longer.

And similar remarks are true of a massive number of other things

Euphorbias are for the most part pretty unforgiving. Not in the poison
ivy class but still not something whose sap you really want on your
skin. As ever there are exceptions as far as can be determined
Poinsettia is relatively benign and Jatropha is a clear sapped nasty.

that are treated very casually, not excluding many of the washing
powders on the market. There's no point is being paranoid about
one or two risks and ignoring far more, very comparable, ones.

Some of the succulent euphorbia saps are extremely nasty and the plants
have to be treated with respect or they will injure you. Most collectors
also grow the alleged antidote Aoenium Lindleyii it is unclear how or if
it works. I hope never to need to find out.

http://www.euphorbia.de/giftig_e.htm

The temperate ones are only seriously nasty if it gets in your eyes or
other delicate areas but unless you are already sensitised unlikely to
cause more than a blister or two. Still worth getting it off your skin
promptly or not getting it on in the first place.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:

Euphorbias are for the most part pretty unforgiving. Not in the poison
ivy class but still not something whose sap you really want on your
skin. As ever there are exceptions as far as can be determined
Poinsettia is relatively benign and Jatropha is a clear sapped nasty.

Well, yes, but the context was of the spurges that grow widely in
the UK. I did say that there were a lot of seriously nasty exotics,
though most are very tender. I can no longer remember which ones
I was warned against as a child, though one was a (tree) Euphorbia.

The temperate ones are only seriously nasty if it gets in your eyes or
other delicate areas but unless you are already sensitised unlikely to
cause more than a blister or two. Still worth getting it off your skin
promptly or not getting it on in the first place.

Well, yes. I don't worry unduly, as the skin on the palms of my
hands is rairly thick, but being silly is another matter.

Caper spurge is a common casual around here, and has been one of my
more dominating weeds in some years, but I have never heard of any
serious effects. However, I have avoided pruning my Cotinus coggyria
in summer on the grounds that the offending shoots were above eye
level, and the sap of that is also irritant and photosensitising.
My real point is that there are a hell of a lot of other things that
are similarly nasty to a few sensitive people, and it makes no sense
to single out one that is not exceptional.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article , says...

In article ,
Janet wrote:

I will only add that the 'sinister' bit is that it's quite toxic. That
milky sap or 'latex' is a severe skin irritant, especially in strong
sunlight. It is wise to wear gloves when handling it.

Not 'severe' - it's nothing extreme in that respect.

In *some* people euphorbia causes a temporary very itchy rash of large
fluid filled blisters which eventually burst; followed by longterm
photosensitivity on the same site. ie, whenever the healed skin is exposed
to sun, the blister reaction recurs all over again (without any
euphorbia contact).. IME this recurrent photosensitivity can last a year
or more, and causes skin darkening /discolouring that lasts even longer.

And similar remarks are true of a massive number of other things
that are treated very casually, not excluding many of the washing
powders on the market.

But we're not discussing laundry, that would be OT on a gardening group.

Janet