Practical
Plants

Urginea maritima

Sea Squill

a member of the Urginea genus in the family Hyacinthaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Urginea
Height
1 m
Spread
0.3 m
Fertility
Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The bulb is poisonous in large doses[9][5]. The red form especially has a fairly specific action on rats[9][13][3]. The fresh bulb contains an acrid juice that can cause skin blisters[9].

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Sea squill contains cardiac glycosides which are strongly diuretic and relatively quick-acting[8]. They do not have the same cumulative effect as those present in foxglove (Digitalis spp.)[8]. The bulb has been widely used by herbalists, mainly for its effect upon the heart and for its stimulating, expectorant and diuretic properties[9]. The fresh bulb is slightly more active medicinally than the dried bulb, but it also contains a viscid acrid juice that can cause skin inflammations[9]. This is a very poisonous plant and it should only be used under the supervision of a qualified practitioner[7]. The dried bulb is cardiotonic, strongly diuretic, emetic when taken in large doses and expectorant[9][11][13][14][15][2][3][8]. The bulb can weigh up to 2 kilos[9]. It is used internally in the treatment of bronchitis, bronchitic asthma, whooping cough and oedema[7] and is a potential substitute for foxglove in aiding a failing heart[8]. The bulb is harvested in the autumn, sliced transversally and dried for later use[7]. Externally, the bulb has been used in the treatment of dandruff and seborrhoea[7].

Product or use
Antidandruff
Product or use
Cardiotonic
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Emetic
Product or use
Expectorant

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The red bulb form of this species contains the poisonous substance 'scilliroside'[7]. This substance is poisonous to rodents but does not kill other species (which vomit instead)[7].

Environment

Range
Europe - Mediterranean.
Habitat
Dry sandy places, especially near the coast[9][10][12].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 9+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
high wind
Wind
Yes
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse[4]. Sow the seed thinly so that the seedlings can be left in the pot for their first growing season. Give them regular liquid feeds when in active growth to ensure that they do not suffer nutrient deficiency. Divide the young bulbs once the plant becomes dormant, placing 2- 3 bulbs in each put. Grow them on for at least another year in pots and plant them out into their permanent positions when they are dormant. Division of offsets in late summer when the bulb is dormant[4][7]. Larger bulbs can be replanted immediately into their permanent positions. It is probably best to pot up smaller bulbs and grow them on in a greenhouse for a year before planting them out when they are dormant in late summer.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil according to one report[1], whilst another says that it requires a very free draining gritty or sandy soil in full sun[6]. The bulbs have a summer resting period and should be kept dry at this time[4]. Some protection from winter wet is strongly recommended[6]. Easily grown in a warm sunny position[16]. A very ornamental plant, it is not very hardy in Britain according to one report[1], whilst another says that it can be grown in N. European gardens[6] though it does not flower very freely there[16][6]. Another report says that the plant can tolerate temperatures down to about -7°c[7]. The bulb should be only partially buried[6]. This species is cultivated in the Mediterranean area for its use in the drug industry[7]. The bulbs are harvested after 6 years growth with a yield of about 25,000 bulbs per hectare[7]. There are two main forms of this species, one has a white bulb and the other has a red one. The red bulb is the form that is used as a rat poison whilst the white bulb is used as a cardiotonic. Another report says that herbalists do not distinguish between the two forms[9]. Only the red form contains the rat poison 'scilliroside', though both forms can be used medicinally[7]. The bulb is very tenacious of life, one specimen that had been stored for 20 years in a museum was found to be trying to grow[9]. A good bee plant[15].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.

    ↩

  3. Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  4. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Stary. F. Poisonous Plants. Hamlyn 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-600-35666-3

    ↩

  6. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  7. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9↩10↩11

  8. Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996-00-00 ISBN 9-780751-303148

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  9. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9↩10

  10. Polunin. O. Flowers of Greece and the Balkans. Oxford University Press 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-19-217626-9

    ↩

  11. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

  12. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00

    ↩

  13. Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.

    ↩1↩2

  14. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

  15. Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0-7012-0784-1

    ↩1↩2

  16. Phillips. R. and Rix. M. Bulbs Pan Books 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-330-30253-1

    ↩1↩2

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