Mercurialis (plant)

For the Italian philologist and physician known also by his Latin name Hieronymus Mercurialis, see Geronimo Mercuriali.

Mercuries
Mercurialis perennis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Subtribe: Mercurialinae
Genus: Mercurialis
L.
Type species
Mercurialis perennis[1][2]
Synonyms[3]

Mercurialis /mərˌkjʊəriˈælɪs/ is a genus of plants in the family Euphorbiaceae, the spurges, known commonly as the mercuries. These are slender herbs (forbs), rhizomatious perennials and woody perennials, native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia.[3][4][5]

Species[3]
  1. Mercurialis annua L. – most of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East (from Turkey to Iran and Qatar), and islands of the eastern Atlantic (Canary Islands, Azores, Madeira, etc.)
  2. Mercurialis canariensis Obbard & S.A.Harris – Canary Islands
  3. Mercurialis corsica Coss. & Kralik – Corsica, Sardinia
  4. Mercurialis elliptica Lam. – Spain, Portugal, Morocco
  5. Mercurialis huetii Hanry – Spain, France, Morocco
  6. Mercurialis leiocarpa Siebold & Zucc. – China, Japan, Korea, Ryukyu Islands, Thailand, Assam, Bhutan, Nepal
  7. Mercurialis × longifolia Lam. – Spain, Portugal, France (M. annua × M. tomentosa)
  8. Mercurialis ovata Sternb. & Hoppe – C + E Europe and SW Asia from Germany + Italy to Russia + Syria
  9. Mercurialis × paxii Graebn. – C + E Europe from Germany to Crimea (M. ovata × M. perennis)
  10. Mercurialis perennis L. – most of Europe plus Algeria, Caucasus, Turkey, Iran
  11. Mercurialis reverchonii Rouy – Spain, Morocco
  12. Mercurialis tomentosa L. – Spain, Portugal, France, Balearic Islands
formerly included[3]

transferred to other genera (Acalypha Adenocline Claoxylon Leidesia Micrococca Seidelia Speranskia )

  1. M. abyssinica – Micrococca mercurialis
  2. M. acanthocarpa – Speranskia cantonensis
  3. M. alternifolia Lam. 1797 not Hochst. ex Baill. 1858 – Micrococca mercurialis
  4. M. alternifolia Hochst. ex Baill. 1858 not Lam. 1797 – Acalypha hochstetteriana
  5. M. androgyna – Leidesia procumbens
  6. M. angustifolia – Claoxylon angustifolium
  7. M. australis – Claoxylon australe
  8. M. bupleuroides – Adenocline pauciflora var. bupleuroides
  9. M. caffra – Adenocline acuta
  10. M. capensis – Leidesia procumbens
  11. M. cucullata – Acalypha segetalis
  12. M. dregeana – Adenocline acuta
  13. M. indica – Claoxylon hainanense
  14. M. pauciflora – Adenocline pauciflora
  15. M. procumbens – Leidesia procumbens
  16. M. pumila – Seidelia triandra
  17. M. serrata – Adenocline pauciflora var. ovalifolia
  18. M. subcordata – Adenocline acuta
  19. M. tenella – Adenocline pauciflora var. tenella
  20. M. tenerifolia – Claoxylon tenerifolium
  21. M. triandra – Seidelia triandra
  22. M. tricocca Eckl. & Zeyh. ex Krauss 1845 not E.Mey. ex Sond. 1850 – Leidesia procumbens
  23. M. tricocca E.Mey. ex Sond. 1850 not Eckl. & Zeyh. ex Krauss 1845 – Adenocline violifolia
  24. M. violifolia – Adenocline violifolia
  25. M. Mercurialis zeyheri – Adenocline pauciflora var. transiens


  1. ^ lectotype designated by J. K. Small in N. L. Britton et A. Brown, Ill. Fl. N. U.S. ed. 2. 2: 460 (1913).
  2. ^ Tropicos, genus Mercurialis
  3. ^ a b c d Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  4. ^ Altervista Flora Italiana, genere Mercurialis includes photos and European distribution maps
  5. ^ Flora of China Vol. 11 Page 247 山靛属 shan dian shu Mercurialis Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 1035. 1753.