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.

Malawi: 52 taxa.

The larvae of the following species of insect eat species of this genus:
Zizeeria knysna (Sooty blue)
No image yet

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

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
ambroseae L.C. Leach var. spinosa L.C. Leach[NrEnd]S
ampliphylla Pax N
benthamii HiernCDescription, Image
cooperi N.E. Br. ex A. Berger var. calidicola L.C. LeachN,SDescription, Image
cooperi N.E. Br. ex A. Berger var. ussanguensis (N.E.Br.) L.C. Leach N,C
crotonoides Boiss. subsp. crotonoides NDescription, Image
cyparissioides PaxN,C,SDescription, Image
daviesii E.A. Bruce[NrEnd]NDescription, Image
decidua P.R.O. Bally & L.C. LeachN,CDescription, Image
decliviticola L.C. Leach[NrEnd]S
dedzana L.C. LeachC
depauperata Hochst. ex A. Rich. var. depauperata N,C,SDescription, Image
depauperata Hochst. ex A.Rich. var. trachycarpa (Pax) S.Carter N
dolichoceras S. Carter N,C
espinosa PaxN,SDescription, Image
goetzei PaxN,C,SImage
griseola Pax subsp. griseola SDescription, Image
griseola Pax subsp. mashonica L.C. LeachSDescription, Image
heterophylla L.N,C,SDescription, Image
hirta L.N,C,SDescription, Image
inaequilatera Sond. var. inaequilatera C
indica Lam.N,SDescription, Image
ingens E. Mey. ex Boiss.N,C,SDescription, Image
inundaticola L.C. Leach N
isacantha PaxN
kilwana N.E. Br.S
lividiflora L.C. LeachSDescription, Image
lupatensis N.E. Br.SDescription, Image
malevola L.C. LeachSDescription, Image
matabelensis PaxN,C,SDescription, Image
mlanjeana Leach[NrEnd]S
mossambicensis (Klotzsch & Garcke) Boiss.N,C,SDescription, Image
platycephala PaxN,C,SDescription, Image
polycnemoides Hochst. ex Boiss. N,C
prostrata AitonN,C,SDescription, Image
pulcherrima Willd. ex KlotzschSDescription, Image
richardsiae L.C. Leach subsp. richardsiae N
richardsiae L.C. Leach subsp. robusta L.C. LeachN
ruficeps S.Carter N,C
schimperiana Scheele var. schimperiana N,C,SDescription
schimperiana Scheele var. pubescens (N.E. Br.) S. CarterN,SDescription, Image
schimperiana Scheele var. velutina N.E. Br.SDescription
serpens KunthSDescription, Image
serratifolia S. CarterN,C
systyloides Pax subsp. porcaticapsa S. CarterS
tettensis KlotzschSDescription, Image
tholicola L.C. LeachC
tirucalli L.N,SDescription, Image
ugandensis PaxN
usambarica Pax subsp. usambarica N
whyteana Baker f.[End]S
zambesiana Benth. var. zambesiana N,C,SDescription, Image

Other sources of information about Euphorbia:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Euphorbia
Flora of Botswana: cultivated Euphorbia
Flora of Caprivi: Euphorbia
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated 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 Malawi: Genus page: Euphorbia.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=875, retrieved 28 March 2024

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