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Euphorbia
Red SpurgeEuphorbia cotinifolia ssp. cotinoides
Red Spurge
Euphorbia cotinifolia ssp. cotinoides
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Rosidae
(unranked) Eurosids I
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Subfamily: Euphorbioideae
Tribe: Euphorbieae
Subtribe: Euphorbiinae
Genus: Euphorbia
L.
Diversity
c. Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. The flowering plants or angiosperms ( Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta) are the most widespread group Magnoliopsida is the Botanical name for a class of Flowering plants By definition the class will include the family Magnoliaceae, but its Under the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN Rosidae is a Botanical name at the rank of subclass. In the APG II system for the classification of the Angiosperms the name rosids refers to a Clade, meaning a Monophyletic group of plants The Malpighiales are a large order of Flowering plants included in the group named Eurosids I in the recent APG classification The Spurge family ( Euphorbiaceae) is a large family of Flowering plants with 300 genera and around 7500 species The Euphorbioideae is a Subfamily of the family Euphorbiaceae. Euphorbieae is a tribe of Plant of the family Euphorbiaceae. It comprises 3 Subtribes and 6 genera. Carl Linnaeus (Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as, May 23 new style (13 May old style 1707 who laid the foundations for Euphorbia is a highly diverse Plant Genus, comprising some 2160 currently accepted taxa 2160 species
Type species
Euphorbia antiquorum
L.
Subgenera

Chamaesyce
Esula
Euphorbia
Rhizanthium
and see below
Synonyms

Chamaesyce
Elaeophorbia
Endadenium
Monadenium
Synadenium
Pedilanthus

Euphorbia is a genus of plants belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae. In biology a type is that which fixes a name to a Taxon. Depending on the nomenclature code which is applied to the organism in question a type may be a specimen Carl Linnaeus (Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as, May 23 new style (13 May old style 1707 who laid the foundations for In Biology, a subgenus is a Taxonomic rank directly below Genus. Euphorbia is a Genus of Plants belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae. Euphorbia is a Genus of Plants belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae. In Scientific nomenclature, synonyms are different Scientific names used for a single Taxon. A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. In Biological classification, family ( Latin The Spurge family ( Euphorbiaceae) is a large family of Flowering plants with 300 genera and around 7500 species Consisting of about 2160 species, Euphorbia is one of the most diverse genera in the plant kingdom. In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. Members of the family and genus are sometimes referred to Spurges. The genus is primarily found in the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and the Americas, but also in temperate zones worldwide. The Tropics are centered on the Equator and limited in Latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23°26' (23 The subtropics are the zones of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropic zone which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America Succulent species originate mostly from Africa, the Americas and Madagascar. Succulent plants, also known as succulents or fat plants, are Water -retaining Plants adapted to Arid climate or Soil conditions Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern There exists a wide range of insular species, namely on the Hawaiian Islands where spurges are collectively known as ʻakoko

The common name "spurge" derives from the Middle English/Old French espurge ("to purge"), due to the use of the plants sap as a purgative. An island (ˈaɪlənd or isle (/ˈaɪl/ is any piece of land that is completely surrounded by water in two dimensions above high tide and isolated from other significant The Hawaiian Islands, once known as the Sandwich Islands, form an Archipelago of 19 Islands and Atolls numerous smaller For Wikipedia aspects see WikipediaNaming conventions (common names, WikipediaNaming conventions, and WikipediaStyle manual. Middle English is the name given by Historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of Old French was the Romance Dialect continuum spoken in territories which span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium Laxatives (or purgatives) are foods compounds or drugs taken to induce bowel movements or to loosen the stool most often taken to treat Constipation.

The botanical name Euphorbia derives from Euphorbus, the Greek physician of king Juba II of Numidia (52-50 BC - 23 AD). A botanical name is a formal scientific name conforming to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN and if the plant is a Cultigen, the Roman Greece is the period of Greek history (of Greece proper as opposed to the other centers of Hellenism in the Roman world following the Roman victory over A physician, medical practitioner or medical doctor who practices Medicine, and is concerned with maintaining or restoring human Health Juba II ( Iuba in Latin Ιóβας (Ιóβα or Ιουβας in Greek) or Juba II of Numidia (reigned 25 BC - 23 AD was a king Numidia (202 BC – 46 BC was an ancient Berber kingdom in present-day Algeria and part of Tunisia ( North Africa) that later alternated He is reported to have used a certain plant, possibly Resin Spurge (E. Euphorbia resinifera ( Resin spurge) is a species of spurge native to Morocco, where it occurs on the slopes of the Atlas Mountains resinifera), as a herbal remedy when the king suffered from a swollen belly. Herbalism is a traditional Medicinal or Folk medicine practice based on the use of Plants and Plant extracts Herbalism is also known as Carolus Linnaeus assigned the name Euphorbia to the entire genus in the physician's honor[1]. Carl Linnaeus (Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as, May 23 new style (13 May old style 1707 who laid the foundations for

Juba II himself was a noted patron of the arts and sciences and sponsored several expeditions and biological research. He also was a notable author, writing several scholarly and popular scientific works such as treatises on natural history or a best-selling traveller's guide to Arabia. The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية šibh al-jazīra al-ʻarabīya or جزيرة العرب jazīrat al-ʻarab) Euphorbia regisjubae (King Juba's Euphorbia) was named to honor the king's contributions to natural history and his role in bringing the genus to notice.

Contents

Description

The plants are annual or perennial herbs, woody shrubs or trees with a caustic, poisonous milky sap (latex). Botanically an annual plant is a Plant that usually germinates, Flowers and dies in one Year. A perennial plant or perennial ( Latin per, "through" annus, "year" is a Plant that lives for more than A(n herb (ˈhɝb or /ˈɝb/ see pronunciation differences) is a plant that is valued for qualities such as medicinal properties flavor scent or the like A shrub or Bush is a horticultural rather than strictly botanical category of Woody plant, distinguished from a Tree A tree is a perennial Woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or LaTeX (ˈleɪtɛ The roots are fine or thick and fleshy or tuberous. ROOT is an object-oriented program and library developed by CERN. Many species are more or less succulent, thorny or unarmed. Succulent plants, also known as succulents or fat plants, are Water -retaining Plants adapted to Arid climate or Soil conditions The main stem and mostly also the side arms of the succulent species are thick and fleshy, 15-91 cm (6-36 inches) tall. The deciduous leaves are opposite, alternate or in whorls. In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. In succulent species the leaves are mostly small and short-lived. The stipules are mostly small, partly transformed into spines or glands, or missing. In Botany, stipule ( Latin stipula: straw stalk is a term coined by Linnaeus Spines are leaves that have been modified into cylindrical hard structures with sharp ends A gland is an organ in an animal's body that synthesizes a substance for release such as Hormones or Breast milk, often into the Bloodstream

Like all members of the family Euphorbiaceae, all spurges have unisexual flowers. A flower, also known as a bloom or Blossom, is the reproductive structure found in Flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also In Euphorbia these are greatly reduced and grouped into cyathia called pseudanthia. The very special pseudanthia in the genus Euphorbia ( Euphorbiaceae) are known as Cyathia. A pseudanthium (Greek false flower is a special type of Inflorescence, in which several Flowers are grouped together to form a flower-like structure There are also (monoecious) species with male and female flowers on the same plant and those (dioecious) with male and female flowers occurring on different plants. Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of Sexual reproduction systems found across the Plant kingdom Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of Sexual reproduction systems found across the Plant kingdom It is not unusual for the central cyathia of a cyme to be purely male, and for lateral cyathia to carry both sexes. Sometimes young plants or those growing under unfavourable conditions are male only, and only produce female flowers in the cyathia with maturity or as growing conditions improve. The bracts are often leaf-like, sometimes brightly coloured and attractive, sometimes reduced to tiny scales. In Botany, a bract is a modified or specialized Leaf. Bracts are ordinarily associated with reproductive structures (subtending Flowers Inflorescence The fruits are three (rarely two) compartment capsules, sometimes fleshy but almost always ripening to a woody container that then splits open (explosively). The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context and the term is not synonymous in Food preparation and Biology. In Botany a capsule is a type of simple dry Fruit produced by many species of Flowering plants A capsule is a dehiscent structure composed of two The seeds are 4-angled, oval or spherical, and in some species have a caruncle. A seed (in some plants referred to as a kernel) is a small embryonic Plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat usually with some stored Elaiosomes (elaios- oil some- body are fleshy structures that are attached to the Seeds of many Plant species

Xerophytes and succulents

In the genus Euphorbia succulence in the species has often evolved divergently and to differing degrees. Sometimes it is difficult to decide, and it is a question of interpretation, whether or not a species is really succulent or "only" xerophytic. A xerophyte or xerophytic organism ( xero meaning dry phyte meaning plant is a Plant which is able to survive in an ecosystem with little available In some cases, especially with geophytes, plants closely related to the succulents are normal herbs. A storage organ is a part of a Plant specifically modified for storage of Energy (generally in the form of Carbohydrates or Water. 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.

Toxicity

The latex (milky sap) of spurges acts as a deterrent for herbivores as well as a wound healer. Herbivory is a form of Predation in which an Organism, known as a herbivore, consumes principally Autotrophs ref name=Campbell>Campbell Usually it is white, but in rare cases (e. g. E. abdelkuri) yellow. UserPolbot. --> Euphorbia abdelkuri is a species of Plant in the Euphorbiaceae family As it is under pressure, it runs out from the slightest wound and congeals within a few minutes of contact with the air. Among the component parts are many di- or tri-terpen esters, which can vary in composition according to species, and in some cases the variant may be typical of that species. Terpenes are a large and varied class of Hydrocarbons, produced primarily by a wide variety of plants particularly Conifers though also by some insects such Esters are a class of Chemical compounds and Functional groups Esters consist of an inorganic or organic Acid in which at least The terpen ester composition determines how caustic and irritating to the skin it is. In contact with mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth) the latex can produce extremely painful inflammation. Inflammation ( Latin, inflamatio, to set on fire is the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli such as Pathogens In experiments with animals it was found that the terpen ester resiniferatoxin had an irritating effect 10,000 to 100,000 times stronger than capsaicin, the "hot" substance found in chillies. Resiniferatoxin (RTX is a naturally occurring ultrapotent Capsaicin analog that activates the Vanilloid receptor in a subpopulation of primary afferent Capsaicin /ˌkæpˈseˌɪsɪn/ (8- Methyl - N - Vanillyl -6-nonen Amide) is the active component of Chili peppers The chili pepper, chilli pepper, or chili, is the fruit of the plants from the Genus Capsicum, which are members of the nightshade Several terpen esters are also known to be carcinogenic. Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled

Therefore spurges should be handled with caution. Latex coming in contact with the skin should be washed off immediately and thoroughly. Partially or completely congealed latex is often no longer soluble in water, but can be removed with an emulsion (milk, hand-cream). A physician should be consulted regarding any inflammation of a mucous membrane. It has been noticed, when cutting large succulent spurges in a greenhouse, that vapours from the latex spread and can cause severe irritation to the eyes and air passages several metres away. Precautions, including sufficient ventilation, are required. Small children and domestic pets should be kept from contact with spurges.

Uses

Several spurges are grown as garden plants, among them Poinsettia (E. "Christmas Star" redirects here For the Christian tradition see Star of Bethlehem. pulcherrima) and the succulent E. trigona. E. pekinensis (Chinese: 大戟; pinyin: dàjǐ) is used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is regarded as one of the 50 fundamental herbs. Euphorbia pekinensis is a Flowering plant native to Asia It is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in Traditional Chinese medicine, where Traditional Chinese medicine (also known as TCM,) includes a range of traditional medical practices originating in China. See Herbalism for the non-Chinese tradition of herbology Chinese Herbology ( is the common name for the subject of Chinese Several Euphorbia species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), including the Giant Leopard Moth. A larva ( Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of Animal with indirect development, undergoing Metamorphosis (for example Lepidoptera is an order of Insect that includes Moths and butterflies. The Giant Leopard Moth or Eyed Tiger Moth ( Hypercompe scribonia) is a Moth of the family Arctiidae. Euphorbias are used in natural medicine to heal cancer, leukemia and other virus caused illnesses. (esula, cyparissias, helioscopia and others) http://www.springerlink.com/content/r125368217774448/ http://www.springerlink.com

Systematics and taxonomy

According to recent studies of DNA sequence data[2] most of the smaller "satellite genera" around the huge genus Euphorbia nest deep within the latter. A DNA sequence or genetic sequence is a succession of letters representing the Primary structure of a real or hypothetical DNA Molecule Consequently these taxa, namely the never generally accepted genus Chamaesyce as well as the smaller genera Cubanthus,[3] Elaeophorbia, Endadenium, Monadenium, Synadenium and Pedilanthus were transferred to Euphorbia. A taxon (plural taxa) or taxonomic unit, is a name designating an organism or a group of Organisms In Biological nomenclature according to Cubanthus is a Flowering plant Genus in the Family Euphorbiaceae (Spurge family The entire subtribe Euphorbiinae now consists solely of the genus Euphorbia. In Biology, a tribe &mdashor infrafamily&mdashis a Taxonomic rank between family and Genus.

Selected species

See List of Euphorbia species for complete list. Euphorbia is a highly diverse Plant Genus, comprising some 2160 currently accepted taxa

Subgenera

Simplified diagram of relations in subtribe Euphorbiinae
Simplified diagram of relations in subtribe Euphorbiinae

The genus Euphorbia is one of the largest and most complex genera of flowering plants and several botanists have made unsuccessfully attempts to subdivide the genus into numerous smaller genera. The Rattlesnake Weed ( Euphorbia albomarginata) is a low-growing member of the Spurge family native to desert and chaparral habitats of southwestern Wood Spurge is a European plant in the genus Euphorbia. It reproduces both from seeds and root runners that spread underground then sprout new Candelilla ( Euphorbia antisyphilitica) is a Shrubby Spurge native to southwest Texas and Mexico, having densely clustered Cypress Spurge is a plant in the genus Euphorbia, which is native to Europe and was introduced to North America in the 1860s by the colonists Euphorbia Decidua is a plant of the Euphorbiaceae family It was described by Peter René, Oscar Bally & Leslie Charles Leach Euphorbia esula aka The Green Spurge ( Leafy Spurge) is a species of spurge native to central and southern Europe (north to England Euphorbia franckiana is a species of Spurge native to southern Africa. Euphorbia helioscopia ( Sun Spurge) is a species of Spurge native to most of Europe, northern Africa, and eastward through most The (Mexican Fireplant, also known as Painted Euphorbia, Desert Poinsettia, Paint Leaf or Kaliko plant, is the Spurge Euphorbia labatii is a rare endemic known only from a single locality in Antsiranana Province Madagascar. Euphorbia lactea ( Mottled Spurge, Frilled Fan or Elkhorn) is a species of spurge native to tropical Asia, mainly in Euphorbia lathyris ( Caper Spurge or Paper Spurge) is a species of spurge native to southern Europe ( France, Italy Chamaesyce maculata (syn Euphorbia maculata L variously called Spotted spurge or Prostrate spurge) is an Annual plant Euphorbia milii ( Crown-of-thorns or Christ Plant) is a species of Euphorbia native to Madagascar. Euphorbia myrsinites ( Myrtle Spurge, also known as Creeping Spurge or " Donkey tail " is a Succulent Species Euphorbia peplis ( Purple Spurge) is a species of Euphorbia, native to southern and western Europe, northern Africa Euphorbia peplus ( Petty Spurge) is a species of Euphorbia, native to most of Europe, northern Africa, and western "Christmas Star" redirects here For the Christian tradition see Star of Bethlehem. Turkish ( tr Türkçe IPA) is a language spoken by over 63 million people worldwide making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Euphorbia resinifera ( Resin spurge) is a species of spurge native to Morocco, where it occurs on the slopes of the Atlas Mountains Euphorbia tirucalli ( Indian Tree Spurge, pencil tree or milk bush) is a Shrub that grows in semi- Arid Tropical Euphorbia tithymaloides ( Redbird cactus or Devil's backbone; Syn Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Euphorbia virosa is a Plant of the spurge family Euphorbiaceae. Euphorbia is a Genus of Plants belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae. The flowering plants or angiosperms ( Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta) are the most widespread group Botany, plant science(s, phytology, or plant biology is a branch of Biology and is the scientific study of plant Life According to the recent phylogenetic studies[2], Euphorbia can be divided into 4 subgenera, each containing several not yet sufficiently studied sections and groups. In Biology, a subgenus is a Taxonomic rank directly below Genus. In Botany, a section is a low-level Taxonomic rank directly below Subgenus. Of these, Esula is the most basal. Euphorbia is a Genus of Plants belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae. In Phylogenetics, a basal Clade is the earliest clade to branch in a larger clade it appears at the base of a cladogram Chamaesyce and Euphorbia are probably sister taxa but very closely related to Rhizanthium. Euphorbia is a Genus of Plants belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae. Cladistics is the hierarchical classification of Species based on evolutionary ancestry Extensive xeromorph adaptations in all probability evolved several times; it is not known if the common ancestor of the cactus-like Rhizanthium and Euphorbia lineages was xeromorphic - in which case a more normal morphology would have re-evolved namely in Chamaesyce - or whether extensive xeromorphism is entirely polyphyletic even to the level of the subgenera. A xerophyte or xerophytic organism ( xero meaning dry phyte meaning plant is a Plant which is able to survive in an ecosystem with little available In Phylogenetics, a Taxon is polyphyletic ( Greek for "of many races" if the trait its members have in common evolved separately in different

Wood Spurge
Euphorbia amygdaloides

Cypress Spurge
Euphorbia cyparissias

Leafy Spurge
Euphorbia esula

Myrtle Spurge
Euphorbia myrsinites

Euphorbia ferox

Euphorbia flanaganii

Euphorbia meloformis ssp. Wood Spurge is a European plant in the genus Euphorbia. It reproduces both from seeds and root runners that spread underground then sprout new Cypress Spurge is a plant in the genus Euphorbia, which is native to Europe and was introduced to North America in the 1860s by the colonists Euphorbia esula aka The Green Spurge ( Leafy Spurge) is a species of spurge native to central and southern Europe (north to England Euphorbia myrsinites ( Myrtle Spurge, also known as Creeping Spurge or " Donkey tail " is a Succulent Species valida

Euphorbia obesa ssp. symmetrica

Euphorbia celastroides

Painted Euphorbia
Euphorbia heterophylla

Poinsettia
Euphorbia pulcherrima

Euphorbia rivae

Euphorbia actinoclada

Euphorbia attastoma var. The (Mexican Fireplant, also known as Painted Euphorbia, Desert Poinsettia, Paint Leaf or Kaliko plant, is the Spurge "Christmas Star" redirects here For the Christian tradition see Star of Bethlehem. attastoma

Euphorbia confinalis ssp. rhodesica

Euphorbia lupulina

Footnotes

  1. ^ Linnaeus (1753): p. 450
  2. ^ a b Steinmann & Porter (2002), Steinmann (2003), Bruyns et al. (2006)
  3. ^ Steinmann, van Ee, Berry & Gutiérrez (2007) in Anales del Jardín Botánico de Madrid

References

External links

Dictionary

euphorbia

-noun

  1. any plant of the genus Euphorbia; the spurges

Euphorbia

-noun

  1. Large, cosmopolitan genus of flowering plants, and basis for the name of the plant family Euphorbiaceae. Individual species in the genus may grow as herbs, shrubs, or trees, but all typically have latex and paired spines.
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