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.

Botswana: 36 taxa.

The larvae of the following species of insect eat species of this genus:
Zizeeria knysna (Sooty blue)
Euphorbia hirta

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

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
cooperi N.E. Br. ex A. Berger var. cooperi Description, Image
crotonoides Boiss. subsp. crotonoides N,SWDescription, Image
cyathophora MurrayNDescription, Image
davyi N.E. Br.
duseimata R.A. DyerSW,SE
espinosa PaxDescription, Image
eylesii RendleNDescription
glanduligera Pax
griseola Pax subsp. griseola N,SEDescription, Image
guerichiana PaxSE
heterophylla L.NDescription, Image
hirta L.N,SEDescription, Image
inaequilatera Sond. var. inaequilatera N,SW,SE
inaequilatera Sond. var. perennis N,E. Br.SE
indica Lam.NDescription, Image
ingens E. Mey. ex Boiss.NDescription, Image
limpopoana L.C. Leach ex S. CarterSE
maleolens PhillipsSE
matabelensis PaxNDescription, Image
monteiri Hook. f. subsp. monteiri N,SW
monteiri Hook. f. subsp. ramosa L.C. LeachSE
mossambicensis (Klotzsch & Garcke) Boiss.NDescription, Image
neopolycnemoides Pax & K. Hoffm.N,SEDescription, Image
pfeilii PaxNDescription, Image
polycnemoides Hochst. ex Boiss.
prostrata AitonN,SEDescription, Image
rectirama N.E. Br.SW,SE
rubriflora N.E. Br.NDescription, Image
schinzii PaxSE
serpens KunthDescription, Image
spissiflora S. CarterN
tettensis KlotzschDescription, Image
tirucalli L.N,SEDescription, Image
transvaalensis Schltr.NDescription, Image
trichadenia Pax var. trichadenia SE
venteri L. C. Leach ex R. H. Archer & S. Carter[EN]N

Other sources of information about Euphorbia:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: cultivated Euphorbia
Flora of Caprivi: Euphorbia
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Euphorbia
Flora of Malawi: Euphorbia
Flora of Malawi: cultivated Euphorbia
Flora of Mozambique: Euphorbia
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Euphorbia
Flora of Zambia: Euphorbia
Flora of Zambia: cultivated Euphorbia
Flora of Zimbabwe: Euphorbia
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated 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, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Botswana: Genus page: Euphorbia.
https://www.botswanaflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=875, retrieved 28 March 2024

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