What is another name for spurge?
The Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family, are a large family of flowering plants. In common English, they are sometimes called euphorbias, which is also the name of a genus in the family. Most spurges such as Euphorbia paralias are herbs, but some, especially in the tropics, are shrubs or trees, such as Hevea brasiliensis.
Is Euphorbia the same as spurge?
Euphorbia is a very large and diverse genus of flowering plants, commonly called spurge, in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). Euphorbia is sometimes used in ordinary English to collectively refer to all members of Euphorbiaceae (in deference to the type genus), not just to members of the genus.
What plants are in the spurge family?
A number of plants of the spurge family are of considerable economic importance. Prominent plants include cassava (Manihot esculenta), castor oil plant (Ricinus communis), Barbados nut (Jatropha curcas), and the Para rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis).
What are the characteristics of spurge?
There are many types of spurge, but most species share these characteristics: The leaves of spurge weeds are arranged along the stem with one leaf directly across from the other. Spurge has a main, central root called the taproot. The weed grows long stems that extend outward from the taproot.
What foods are in the spurge family?
By far the most important spurge in agriculture is the cassava, manioc, or tapioca (Manihot esculenta), a species that is native to Brazil, but is now grown widely in the tropics.
What is the scientific name of spurge?
EuphorbiaSpurges / Scientific name
What is the most important characteristics of the Euphorbiaceae family?
The Euphorbiaceae are distinctive in having unisexual flowers with a superior, usually 3-carpellate ovary with 1 ovule per carpel, apical-axile in placentation, many taxa with red, yellow, or usually white (“milky”) latex, the Euphorbioideae alone with reduced staminal flowers, some with a characteristic cyathium ...
What is the phylum of Euphorbia?
Vascular plantSpurges / PhylumVascular plants, also called tracheophytes or collectively Tracheophyta, form a large group of land plants that have lignified tissues for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They also have a specialized non-lignified tissue to conduct products of photosynthesis. Wikipedia
How poisonous is spurge?
Myrtle spurge is poisonous if ingested, causing nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. This plant exudes toxic, milky latex, which can cause severe skin and eye irritations. Wearing gloves, long sleeves, and shoes is highly recommended when in contact with Myrtle spurge, as all plant parts are con- sidered poisonous.
What is spurge used for?
Spurge Tablet is a combination of two medicines: Drotaverine and Mefenamic acid. This medication helps to relieve abdominal pain. Drotaverine relieves muscle spasms associated with smooth muscles in the abdomen.
How do you say Euphorbiaceae?
0:140:26How to Pronounce Euphorbiaceae - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHow do you say it u4baci u4baci or otherwise known as spurges eu4baci.MoreHow do you say it u4baci u4baci or otherwise known as spurges eu4baci.
How many species of Euphorbiaceae family are there?
A very large family, the sixth largest amongst the Anthophyta, with 300 genera and 5000 species, subcosmopolitan but with the strongest representation in the humid tropics and subtropics of both hemispheres.
Where are Euphorbiaceae located?
Euphorbia occupies a very wide range, from tropical areas of Africa (where most of the succulent Euphorbias originate), Madagascar, and the Americas to warmer, temperate areas of Asia and Europe.
Is a Euphorbia a cactus?
The Euphorbia genus of plants is most well-known for its succulent species which are elegant and architectural in appearance. These plants are often mistaken for cacti due to many of the popular varieties being stem succulents.
Is Euphorbia toxic to dogs?
The pencil cactus, or Euphorbia tirucalli, is toxic to humans, dogs, and cats worldwide and can cause serious intestinal and skin injury, according to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).
What is the scientific name of bougainvillea?
BougainvilleaBougainvillea / Scientific name
What is the common name of Euphorbia hirta?
Asthma WeedEuphorbia hirta L.Family Name:EuphorbiaceaeSynonyms:Euphorbia piluliferaCommon Name:Hairy Spurge, Ara Tanah, Asthma Weed, snake weed, 飞扬草, 脚癣草
What is the difference between purslane and spurge?
Spurge is almost always smaller than purslane, its stems are thin and woody, and its leaves lack purslane's distinctive fleshiness. Spurge: similar features in the same season, but obviously not purslane upon inspection. When in doubt, there's one fool-proof way to tell the difference: tear a stem.
What is spurge tea good for?
Euphorbia hirta is often used traditionally for female disorders, respiratory ailments (cough, coryza, bronchitis, and asthma), worm infestations in children, dysentery, jaundice, pimples, gonorrhea, digestive problems, and tumors.
Where does Euphorbia come from?
Luiz Claudio Marigo/Bruce Coleman Ltd. Succulent but unthorned and with upright, 6-metre, fingerlike, much-branched stems is milkbush ( E. tirucalli) from India, used in Africa and many tropical places as a hedge for huts or cattle enclosures.
What are the names of the euphorbias?
Some botanists previously divided the euphorbias into various now-defunct genera, including Chamaesyce, Poinsettia, Tithymalus, Tithymalopsis, and Dichrophyllum.
What is the most appreciated of the tropical euphorbias?
Subscribe Now. What is probably the most appreciated of the tropical euphorbias is the poinsettia from southern Mexico and Guatemala, which has scarlet bracts (leaflike structures attached just below flowers) and is associated with Christmas.
Where does scarlet plume come from?
The scarlet plume ( E. fulgens ), from Mexico, a 90-centimetre- (3-foot-) tall shrub with slender stems and scarlet bract clusters, is sometimes grown as a pot plant and in mild-winter areas as a garden shrub.
Do euphorbias have sap?
Some are thorny succulents that resemble true cacti, but, unlike cacti, euphorbias have a milky, often poisonous sap . The unusual floral structures feature a single female flower consisting of a single female reproductive structure, the pistil, surrounded by numerous male flowers of one stamen each. All these reduced flowers are enclosed in a cup-shaped leaflike structure with five lobes and a gland on each, called a cyathium. Fruits are explosive three-seeded capsules.
What Is Spurge?
Spurge is a type of fast-growing weed that can quickly become a problem if not treated. This annual summer weed grows low to the ground and spreads fast. The earlier you catch this weed growing in your lawn, the quicker you can control it. Read this guide to determine if you have spurge in your yard.
How does spurge grow?
When stems and leaves grow outward from the taproot, they may have their own smaller root systems. Spurge grows low to the ground. When the leaves of spurge are broken, a milky sap is released. This sap can cause irritation to skin and eyes upon contact.
What are the characteristics of spurge?
There are many types of spurge, but most species share these characteristics: The leaves of spurge weeds are arranged along the stem with one leaf directly across from the other. Spurge has a main, central root called the taproot. The weed grows long stems that extend outward from the taproot.
What is a nodding spurge?
Nodding spurge has stems that are pink or reddish with leaves that grow up to 2 inches long. The leaves are oblong and green, but can have a red spot in the center. Nodding spurge prefers dry conditions, poor soil, and full sunlight and can often be found in gravel, sand, or clay.
How long are creeping spurge leaves?
Creeping Spurge. The stems of creeping spurge can reach up to 20 inches long with egg-shaped leaves. Creeping spurge can have white flowers that are found at the tips of stems, along the stem, and where the stem and leaf meet.
When do spurge seeds germinate?
Seeds begin to germinate once soil temperatures heat up and will begin to grow once temperatures hit 60 degrees in the spring.
Is spurge poisonous to animals?
Spotted Spurge/Prostrate Spurge. The spotted spurge weed, also known as the prostrate spurge, is the most common type of spurge and is toxic to animals if eaten in large amounts. The leaves of spotted spurge have a "spot" or line of maroon in the center of the leaf vein.
What is the family of Euphorbia?
Euphorbiaceae. Juss. Subfamilies. Acalyphoideae. Crotonoideae. Euphorbioideae. Euphorbia characias flowers. The Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family , are a large family of flowering plants. In common English, they are sometimes called euphorbias, which is also the name of a genus in the family.
How many species are there in Euphorbiaceae?
Taxonomy. Main article: List of Euphorbiaceae genera. The family Euphorbiaceae is the fifth-largest flowering plant family and has about 7,500 species organised into 300 genera, 37 tribes, and three subfamilies.
What is the name of the false flower in Euphorbia?
The genera in tribe Euphorbieae, subtribe Euphorbiinae ( Euphorbia and close relatives) show a highly specialized form of pseudanthium ("false flower" made up of several true flowers) called a cyathium.
Where do Euphorbiaceae live?
However, the Euphorbiaceae also have many species in nontropical areas such as the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East, South Africa, and the Southern United States .
Which Euphorbiaceae member is the most dangerous?
The most dangerous Euphorbiaceae member is the castor oil plant (Ricinus communis L.) because of their ricin content in the seeds.
Is Euphorbia a shrub?
Most spurges such as Euphorbia paralias are herbs, but some, especially in the tropics, are shrubs or trees, such as Hevea brasiliensis. Some, such as Euphorbia canariensis, are succulent and resemble cacti because of convergent evolution.
What is a spurge plant?
Spurge. Spurge is one of the most diverse and largest classes of plants with over 2,000 species in the family. Showy modified leaves (technically called bracts) provide visual interest. Most are green, but other colors are available, too.
What color is spurge?
The foliage colors of spurge are diverse, with blue, green, burgundy, and variegated options.
What is the color of Euphorbia freup?
Euphorbia 'Froeup' is sometimes called Excalibur. Growing 2 to 3 feet tall, its foliage emerges with a red tint, matures to deep green, and takes on yellow tones in fall. Zones 5-8
What is the color of Euphorbia cyparissias?
Euphorbia cyparissias grows upright, resembling a tiny spruce or cypress tree, but the plant spreads to form a bushy groundcover. It produces chartreuse bracts, which age to red. Zones 4-8
Can spurge be grown in full sun?
Growing conditions between species vary, but it is usually best to plant spurge in full sun, which ensure s colored varieties will be their best and brightest. Part sun is typically tolerated, too, but you may miss out on some flowers and the foliage color may be more muted. Spurge performs best in well-drained soil.
Can spurge be invasive?
Also, avoid getting the sap in your eyes; it can cause vision problems, even blindness. Spurge can be aggressive, and some varieties can be invasive. Most spurge will spread by underground rhizomes, creating dense mats of foliage. This makes it a great option as a groundcover or as a filler between taller plants.
Is spurge poisonous to humans?
This sap is generally poisonous and is what makes the plant deer- and rabbit-resistant. The sap is an irritant to humans as well, so wear gloves when you are handling spurge as it can cause a skin rash. Also, avoid getting the sap in your eyes; it can cause vision problems, even blindness.
What is the name of the plant that grows in the spurge family?
Zalitea Raf. Euphorbia is a very large and diverse genus of flowering plants, commonly called spurge, in the spurge family ( Euphorbiaceae ). "Euphorbia" is sometimes used in ordinary English to collectively refer to all members of Euphorbiaceae (in deference to the type genus ), not just to members of the genus.
Why is Euphorbia called "spurge"?
The common name "spurge" derives from the Middle English / Old French espurge ("to purge"), due to the use of the plant's sap as a purgative. The botanical name Euphorbia derives from Euphorbos, the Greek physician of King Juba II of Numidia (52–50 BC – 23 AD), who married the daughter of Anthony and Cleopatra. Juba was a prolific writer on various subjects, including natural history. Euphorbos wrote that one of the cactus-like euphorbias (now called Euphorbia obtusifolia ssp. regis-jubae) was used as a powerful laxative. In 12 BC, Juba named this plant after his physician Euphorbos, as Augustus Caesar had dedicated a statue to the brother of Euphorbos, Antonius Musa, who was the personal physician of Augustus. In 1753, botanist and taxonomist Carl Linnaeus assigned the name Euphorbia to the entire genus in the physician's honor.
What is the flower called in Euphorbia?
In Euphorbia, flowers occur in a head, called the cyathium (plural cyathia). Each male or female flower in the cyathium head has only its essential sexual part, in males the stamen, and in females the pistil. The flowers do not have sepals, petals, or nectar to attract pollinators, although other nonflower parts of the plant have an appearance and nectar glands with similar roles. Euphorbias are the only plants known to have this kind of flower head.
How many members does Euphorbia have?
The genus has over or about 2,000 members, making it one of the largest genera of flowering plants. It also has one of the largest ranges of chromosome counts, along with Rumex and Senecio. Euphorbia antiquorum is the type species for the genus Euphorbia.
How many species of succulents are there?
In some cases, especially with geophytes, plants closely related to the succulents are normal herbs. About 850 species are succulent in the strictest sense. If one includes slightly succulent and xerophytic species, this figure rises to about 1000, representing about 45% of all Euphorbia species.
Where is Euphorbia used?
Euphorbias are often used as hedging plants in many parts of Africa.
Is convergent evolution in flower head related to ancestry?
Genetic tests have shown that similar flower head structures or forms within the genus, might not mean close ancestry within the genus. The genetic data show that within the genus, convergent evolution of inflorescence structures may be from ancestral subunits that are not related. So using morphology within the genus becomes problematic for further subgeneric grouping. As stated on the Euphorbia Planetary Biodiversity Inventory project webpage:
How many species are there in Euphorbiaceae?
Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family, comprises some 7,500 species and 275 genera of flowering plants distributed primarily in the tropics. The flowers are typically unisexual and are borne in a characteristic cluster known as a cyathia.
What is the largest group of plants?
angiosperm, any of about 300,000 species of flowering plants, the largest and most diverse group within the kingdom Plantae. Angiosperms represent approximately 80 percent of all the known green plants now living. The angiosperms are vascular seed plants in which the ovule (egg) is fertilized and…
What is the root of a spurge weed?
Spurge weeds have a main root, called the taproot, that stems grow from. The taproot must be destroyed to ensure the plant is dead.
When does Spurge respond to weed killer?
Spurge responds best to post-emergent weed killer when the weeds are young; mature weeds are harder to kill.
What herbicides are safe for spurge?
Select a pre-emergent herbicide that is labeled for spurge, such as Dimension 2EW, Prodiamine 65 WDG, or Ferti-Lome. Check the label of your pre-emergent to ensure it is safe to use on your grass type.
Can spurge be controlled?
Spurge is a weed that can be very hard to control due to its quick seed production and roots that take hold fast. However, with the proper techniques and products, you can control spurge and possibly even prevent an infestation before it starts.
Can you pull a spurge weed by hand?
Pulling by hand is advised if you only have a few spurge weeds. If you have more than a few weeds, a post-emergent herbicide should be used. When pulling spurge from your lawn, keep some things in mind: Spurge weeds have a main root, called the taproot, that stems grow from.
Biology of Spurges
- Spurges exhibit a wide range of growth forms. Most species are annual or perennial herbs, in the latter case dying back to the ground surface at the end of the growing season, but regenerating from roots and rhizomes at the beginning of the next growing season. Other species of spurges …
Horticultural Spurges
- Various species of spurges are grown as showy plants in horticulture. Care must be taken with these plants, because their milky latex is very acrid, and can injure skin and moist membranes. The milder symptoms of contact with the latex of spurges include a dermatitis of the skin. The eyes are especially sensitive, and can be exposed to the latex if a contaminated hand is used to …
Spurges as Weeds
- Many species of spurges have become noxious weeds in agriculture, especially in pastures, because these plants can be toxic to cattle if eaten in large quantities. One example of an economically important weed is the leafy spurge or wolf’s-milk (Euphorbia esula). This species was originally native to temperate regions of Europe and Asia, but became an invasive weed wh…
Resources
- BOOKS
Judd, Walter S., Christopher Campbell, Elizabeth A. Kellogg, Michael J. Donoghue, and Peter Stevens. Plant Systematics: A Phylogenetic Approach.2nd ed. with CD-ROM. Suderland, MD: Sinauer, 2002. Bill Freedman
Overview
The Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family, are a large family of flowering plants. In common English, they are sometimes called euphorbias, which is also the name of a genus in the family. Most spurges, such as Euphorbia paralias, are herbs, but some, especially in the tropics, are shrubs or trees, such as Hevea brasiliensis. Some, such as Euphorbia canariensis, are succulent and resemble cacti because of convergent evolution. This family has a cosmopolitan distribution, wit…
Description
The leaves are alternate, seldom opposite, with stipules. They are mainly simple, but where compound, are always palmate, never pinnate. Stipules may be reduced to hairs, glands, or spines, or in succulent species are sometimes absent.
The plants can be monoecious or dioecious. The radially symmetrical flowers ar…
Taxonomy
The family Euphorbiaceae is the fifth-largest flowering plant family and has about 7,500 species organised into 300 genera, 37 tribes, and three subfamilies; Acalyphoideae, Crotonoideae and Euphorbioideae. Amongst the oldest fossils of the group include the permineralised fruit Euphorbiotheca deccanensis from the Intertrappean Beds of India, dating to the late Maastrichtian at the end of the Cretaceous, around 66 million years ago.
Uses and toxicity
Some species of Euphorbiaceae have economic significance, such as cassava (Manihot esculenta), castor oil plant (Ricinus communis), Barbados nut (Jatropha curcas), and the Para rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis). Many are grown as ornamental plants, such as poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) or garden croton (Codiaeum variegatum). Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) and Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera) are invasive weeds in North America.
Vulnerability and presumed extinction
Some species are facing the risk of becoming extinct. These include the Euphorbia species E. appariciana, E. attastoma, E. crossadenia, and E. gymnoclada.
External links
• Marc Altenloh collection (photos).
• International Euphorbia Society
• Cactus and Succulent Society of America
• Data from GRIN Taxonomy