EUPHORBIA L.SPURGE

EUPHORBIA L. - SPURGE

Scientific Description:

Monoecious annual, biennial or perennial herbs or subshrubs with milky latex. Cauline leaves usually alternate, rarely opposite, decussate or whorled, sessile, rarely petiolate; ray or pseudo-umbel leaves whorled; raylet or cyathial leaves whorled or opposite, free or united. Stipules present or absent. Pseudo-umbel rays usually dichotomous. Inflorescence cyathial, with 1 female flower and several male flowers enclosed within a gland-bearing involucre. Cyathia often arranged pseudodichasially on the rays of a terminal pseudo-umbel, with or without subtending axillary rays. Cyathial involucre usually 5-lobed, with (l−)4−5 variously-shaped glands alternating with lobes. Male flowers each consisting of a single naked stamen on its own pedicel (appearing like a jointed filament). Female flower consisting of a trilocular naked ovary on a pedicel which usually elongates in fruit. Ovules 1 per loculus. Styles 3, united at base, stigmas often bifid. Fruit schizocarpic (regma), 3-valved, septicidally dehiscent. Seeds usually carunculate.

Reference:

Radcliffe-Smith A (1982). Euphorbia L., In: Davis PH (ed.), Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 7: 571.

Public Description:

Euphorbia is a genus of annual, biennial or perennial herbs or subshrubs, generally known as “supurge”, and spreads widely around the world. There are approximately 2046 species in the world and 105 species (119 taxa) in Türkiye. The sap contains a latex which is toxic (poisonous) on ingestion and highly irritant externally, causing photosensitive skin reactions and severe inflammation, especially on contact with eyes or open cuts. The toxicity can remain high even in dried plant material. Prolonged and regular contact with the sap is inadvisable because of its carcinogenic nature. Some species, "poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. Ex Klotzsch)", are used as ornamental plants, while some species of “spurge (Euphorbia L.)” have been proved to be effective against the genital herpes (HSV-2).

References:

Anonymous 1 (2016). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphorbia/, Accessed date: 22.01.2016.

Anonymous 2 (2016). http://www.theplantlist.org/1.1/browse/A/Euphorbiaceae/Euphorbia/, Accessed date: 22.01.2016.

Öztekin M (2012). Euphorbia L., In: Güner, A., Aslan, S., Ekim, T., Vural, M. & Babaç, M.T. (eds.), Türkiye Bitkileri Listesi (Damarlı Bitkiler). Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanik Bahçesi ve Flora Araştırmaları Derneği Yayını. İstanbul, pp. 414–424.