In English, it’s not actually called a “wart plant” the way it is in French, although interestingly, it often has “wort” in its name. Chelidonium majus, commonly known as greater celandine or tetterwort, (although tetterwort also refers to Sanguinaria canadensis), nipplewort, or swallowwort, is a herbaceous perennial,native to Europe and western Asia and introduced widely in North America. Its toxic yellow-orange latex is used to get rid of warts – and I’ve tested it on one of my children.
La Grande Chélidoine ou Grande Éclaire (Chelidonium major) est une plante de la famille des Papavéracées et la seule espèce du genre Chelidonium. On l’appelle aussi herbe aux verrues, car son latex jaune-orangé toxique est utilisé pour éliminer les verrues. Ca marche car je l’ai expérimenté sur un de mes enfants.
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3 replies on “The Wet Wart Plant – L'herbe aux verrues”
Quite a vibrant green.
The ‘wort’ in English plant names is pronounced ‘wert’, and comes from Old English or Saxon or something. It always signifies a plant that had a medicinal use. Those alkaline saps in plants like greater celandine and euphorbias do work on warts. A lot of the old guys where I grew up in Australia would use euphorbia to remove skin cancers before they got to be melanomas. Perhaps I should take Simon out into the back yard and treat him at home rather than waste the surgeon’s time this afternoon in Chateauroux?!
Thank you Susan, though it’s a little sad to know it isn’t a relation to wart :). Do you think the euporbie in my garden (it has a yellow flower) is the same sort?