4498.000 Euphorbia L.

CHAMAESYCE Gray

Carter, S. & Leach, L.C. (2001) Euphorbiaceae: subfamily Euphorbioideae: tribe Euphorbieae Flora Zambesiaca 9(5)

Description of the genus

Monoecious annual, biennial or perennial herbs, shrubs or trees, sometimes succulent. Milky latex present. Stipules usually present. Leaves mostly alternate, sometimes opposite or whorled. Inflorescence composed of cyathia in simple, dichotomous or umbellate terminal cymes; bracts paired, often leaf-like, sometimes brightly coloured. Cyathia with (1-)4-5(-8) glands around the rim alternating with 5 fringed lobes. Male flowers in 5 groups separated by fringed membranes, bracteolate. Female flower subsessile or with the pedicel elongating or reflexed in fruit. Ovary 3-locular. Styles 3, partly united. Fruit a dehiscent capsule, usually 3-lobed.

Derivation of name: for Euphorbus (1st century), Greek physician of Juba II, king of Mauritania.

Worldwide: c. 2,000 species, cosmopolitan, but more in warm areas.

Zimbabwe: 23 cultivated taxa.

Insects associated with this genus:
Zizeeria knysna (Sooty blue) Food plant
Euphorbia milii

Links to cultivated taxa    View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesContent
cooperi N.E. Br. ex A. Berger var. cooperi Description, Image
cotinifolia L.Description
cyathophora MurrayDescription, Image
didiereoides Denis ex Leandri
evansii Pax
fulgens Karw. ex Klotzsch
griseola Pax subsp. griseola Description, Image
griseola Pax subsp. mashonica L.C. LeachDescription, Image
ingens E. Mey. ex Boiss.Description, Image
lactea Haw.
lathyris L.
leucocephala LotsyDescription, Image
milii Des Moul.Description, Image
polygona Haw. var. horrida (Boiss.) D.H. Schnabel
pulcherrima Willd. ex KlotzschDescription, Image
ramipressa Croizat
stenoclada Baill.
tirucalli L.Description, Image
viguieri Denis
villosa Willd.
xanti Engelm. ex Boiss.
xylophylloides Brongn. ex Lem.
zoutpansbergensis R.A. Dyer

Other sources of information about Euphorbia:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Euphorbia
Flora of Botswana: cultivated Euphorbia
Flora of Burundi: Euphorbia
Flora of Caprivi: Euphorbia
Flora of the DRC: Euphorbia
Flora of Malawi: Euphorbia
Flora of Malawi: cultivated Euphorbia
Flora of Mozambique: Euphorbia
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Euphorbia
Flora of Rwanda: Euphorbia
Flora of Zambia: Euphorbia
Flora of Zambia: cultivated Euphorbia
Flora of Zimbabwe: Euphorbia

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Euphorbia
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Euphorbia
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Euphorbia
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Euphorbia
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Euphorbia
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Euphorbia
JSTOR Plant Science: Euphorbia
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Euphorbia
Plants of the World Online: Euphorbia
Tropicos: Euphorbia
Wikipedia: Euphorbia

Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Cultivated plants: genus page: Euphorbia.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/cult/genus.php?genus_id=875, retrieved 14 October 2024

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