CULPEPER'S COMPLETE HERBAL

GREATER SPURGE

Name. Called also Palma Christi.

Description. This plant grows to be as tall as a little tree, with a smooth jointed hollow stalk, a finger thick or more, covered with a glacous mealiness. The leaves are large, roundish in circumscription, but cut into five seven, or seomtimes nine sharp-pointed, and serrated divisions; the footstalks are long, centring in the middle of the back part of the leaves. The flowers are small and staminous, growing on the tops of the stalks; but lower down, and upon the body of the plant, grow bunches of rough triangular husks, each including three white seeds less than horse-beans, which, in their brittle shells, contain spotted kernels of a sweetish oily taste.

Place. It grows in Essex, and other counties.

Time. It flowers in August.

Virtues. These kernels, which are the only part used, are given by some persons to purge watery humours, which they do both upwards and downwards with great violence; but considering we have much better and safer purges to answer all intentions, they are but seldom used. The oil expressed from the seeds, is good to kill lice in children's heads.