Drimia maritima


sea onion

Herbal medicine
A cabbage-like plant that grows in the sandy soils of the Mediterranean rim and South Africa. Of the two variants—red and white squill—the latter is of greater use as a herb, as it has less of the toxin scilliroside; the active principles in squill are antitussive, cardiotonic (due to scillarens A and B), diuretic and expectorant.
Toxicity
Scilliroside is a potent emetic, and was formerly used as a rat poison.