Spermatophyta: Dicotyledonae: Archichlamydeae: Malpighiales

Euphorbiaceae - Euphorbia family

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

Govaerts, R. et al. (2000) World Checklist and Bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (and Pandaceae) Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Radcliffe-Smith, A. (1996) Euphorbiaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(4)

Description of the family

Dioecious or monoecious herbs, shrubs or trees, sometimes succulent, spiny or unarmed, sometimes with milky latex. Hairs 0, simple, stellate or stinging. Stipules present or 0. Leaves alternate, rarely opposite or in whorls, usually simple, less often lobed or compound. Glands sometimes present near the apex of the petiole and base of lamina. Inflorescences various, sometimes in cyathia. Flowers unisexual, usually actinomorphic and very small. Calyx usually of 3-6 lobes or free sepals. Corolla with 3-6 free or ± united petals or 0. Disk present or 0. Stamens 3-many. Ovary superior, 1-4(-20)-locular, most commonly 3-locular. Styles (1-)3(-20). Fruit usually splitting into three 2-valved cocci, less often indehiscent. Seeds 1-2 per loculus, with or without a caruncle.

Worldwide: 313 genera and 8,100 species, cosmopolitan.

Malawi: 8 cultivated genera and 10 cultivated taxa.

No image yet

Links to cultivated genera:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

GenusContent
Aleurites J.R. Forst. & G. Forst.Description, Image
Euphorbia L.Description
Hevea Aubl.Description
Jatropha L.Description
Manihot Mill.Description
Pedilanthus Neck. ex A. Poit.Description
Ricinus L.Description, Image
Vernicia Lour.Description

Other sources of information about Euphorbiaceae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Euphorbiaceae
Flora of Botswana: cultivated Euphorbiaceae
Flora of Caprivi: Euphorbiaceae
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Euphorbiaceae
Flora of Malawi: Euphorbiaceae
Flora of Mozambique: Euphorbiaceae
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Euphorbiaceae
Flora of Zambia: Euphorbiaceae
Flora of Zambia: cultivated Euphorbiaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: Euphorbiaceae
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Euphorbiaceae

External websites:

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



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 Malawi: Cultivated plants: Family page: Euphorbiaceae.
https://www.malawiflora.com/cult/family.php?family_id=87, retrieved 29 March 2024

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