The plant

In the 1980s there was no computer in Africa and no library either where one could have found scientific descriptions about medicinal herbs. Nevertheless I found a Collection of African Medicinal Herbs in which I could identify the Latin name of the herb after its picture. It was Euphorbia hirta L. On this basis we could continue searching in the libraries of big European towns and obtain more information about the weed family of Euphorbia, and particularly the Euphorbia hirta. The plant family has some 3000 species of which 90 percent – or even more – are toxic. Euphorbia hirta needs heat and much water. It lives in tropical areas. It does not contain any toxic active agent but a great number of medicinal components.