Witnessed by: TCM · Western
Caper spurge (Euphorbia lathyris), of the Euphorbiaceae family. Stout erect biennial with paired blue-green leaves and a milky latex; native range: southern Europe, now naturalised widely as a garden escape. Globally recognized as qian jin zi (千金子) in Chinese, and mole plant, myrtle spurge, gopher spurge in English. The part used is seed (and the acrid latex externally). Rounded seeds with an oily kernel; the whole plant bleeds a burning white latex that blisters the skin.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
CAPER SPURGE
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Caper spurge
- Scientific name
- Euphorbia lathyris L.
- Family
- Euphorbiaceae
Form
- Part used
- seed (and the acrid latex externally)
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- pungent
- Western
- acrid · bitter
Temperature
- TCM
- warm
- Western
- hot
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Liver · Large Intestine
- Western
- bowels · skin
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- drives out water and drains downward, promotes bowel movement and urination, and breaks blood stasis to disperse masses
- Western
- drastic purgative and hydragogue cathartic; the latex a caustic vesicant externally
Cautions
- Contraindications
- pregnancy, weakness and deficiency, and any inflamed condition of the gut; never for the untrained
- Toxicity
- a violent irritant poison — burning of the mouth and gut, vomiting, bloody purging and collapse; the latex severely blisters skin and eyes
This is the card. Sign in for the full four-tradition entry — the aligned TCM · Ayurveda · Western · Unani reading, actions, dosing and cautions.