Irish wildflowers BSBI map

Annual Mercury, Mercurialis annua, Lus glinne beag
Photographs: Kinsale, Co. Cork

Annual Mercury
Mercurialis annua
Lus glinne beag
Family: Euphorbiaceae

Flowering April-October. Annual. Introduced.

Very small green flowers, the male flowers in more/less erect spikes and clusters of female flowers. The seed is very long-lived. Short-stalked leaves are bright green and toothed. Stems branched from the base and leaves and stems usually hairless.

Prefers fertile, nutrient-rich soils on waste ground, gardens and roadsides. Mainly found in the south, south-east and east of Ireland.

Similar: Dog's Mercury, M. perennis. Infrequent, scattered distribution

Annual Mercury, Mercurialis annua, Lus glinne beag

Annual Mercury, Mercurialis annua, Lus glinne beag
Annual Mercury, Mercurialis annua, Lus glinne beag

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