Family: Euphorbiaceae Mercurialis annua     *     Annual Mercury Flowering time: March-October. Annual Habitat: Waste ground, gardens and roadsides on disturbed nutrient-rich soils. Common in S and SE England, scattered distribution elsewhere. Very small dioecious flowers, female flowers in clusters, male flowers in spikes. Many stamens. Produces very long-lived, bristly seed. The stems are branched from the base, the leaves and stems are usually hairless, leaves short-stalked and toothed. Similar: Dog's Mercury, Mercurialis perennis

     



Annual Mercury, Mercurialis annua
Wareham, Dorset. August 2012