Perennial herb (weed) growing as high as 1 m, with deeply divided, 30-cm long leaves. The flowers comprise four yellow petals, each about 1 cm long, and are produced from May to July. The seeds are small and black and shining, each with a whitish, deciduous crest.

Antispasmodic (to the gastrointestinal tract), stimulates the flow of bile soothes and aids in healing digestive parts, kills microbes in the upper respiratory tract and sedative. Acrid, alterative, anodyne, antispasmodic, caustic, cholagogue, diaphoretic, diuretic, hydrogogue, narcotic, purgative (leaves and sap)

Plants for a Future
The American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy
King's American Dispensatory

Allocryptopine, berberine, chelerythrine, chelidonine, chelirubine, citric acid, coptisine, formic acid, histamine, magnoflorine, malic acid, nicotinic acid, protopine, sanguinarine, succinic acid, tyramine (plant); choline (fruit).

In diseases of the internal, digestive organs, periodontal disease and for warts; in ancient times, it was used for eye cataracts. To treat warts (latex); in the treatment of bronchitis, whooping cough, asthma, jaundice, gallstones and gallbladder pains (plant)

Plant is considered toxic and dosages should be monitored carefully. The stem juice is highly irritating and allergenic, it may cause paralysis. Large doses cause sleepiness, skin irritation, respiratory tract irritation, violent coughing and dyspnoea. It also stains the urine bright yellow and may cause ulcers

Grieve MA Modern Herbal. 1931 (www.botanical.com).