About Euphorbia helioscopia L.
Euphorbia helioscopia L. is an annual plant that grows in arable land and disturbed ground. It reaches a height of 10 to 50 cm, and has a single, erect, hairless stem that branches toward the top. Its leaves are oval, broadest near the tip, 1.5–3 cm long, and have finely toothed margins. The flowers are small and yellow-green, with two to five basal bracts that are similar to the leaves but a brighter yellow color. Its flowering period runs from mid-spring to late summer. This species is similar to Euphorbia rhabdotosperma, which resembles E. helioscopia but has smaller plant parts and a different seed surface; Euphorbia rhabdotosperma occurs in Iran, North Caucasus, Transcaucasus, Turkey, and Turkmenistan. Active ingredients extracted from Euphorbia helioscopia are used by the pharmaceutical industry. The plant is also used in traditional Chinese medicine. Studies have found that its extract inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma in vivo in mice.
