Euphorbia platycephala Pax

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Euphorbia platycephala

Photo: Ton Rulkens
South of Pemba Bay, Metuge district in Cabo Delgado province.

Euphorbia platycephala

Photo: Ton Rulkens
South of Pemba Bay, Metuge district in Cabo Delgado province.

Euphorbia platycephala

Photo: Ton Rulkens
South of Pemba Bay, Metuge district in Cabo Delgado province.

Euphorbia platycephala

Photo: Ton Rulkens
South of Pemba Bay, Metuge district in Cabo Delgado province.

Euphorbia platycephala

Photo: Ton Rulkens
South of Pemba Bay, Metuge district in Cabo Delgado province.

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms: Euphorbia uhehensis Pax
Common names:
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Hairless perennial herb with annual stems up 35 cm high, growing from a fleshy cylindrical rootstock; rootstock, 20–30 cm long and 2-4 cm wide. Leaves sessile, lanceolate to obovate, up to c. 12 cm long; margin entire; stipules c. 1 mm long, deciduous. Flowers axillary and in terminal 3-branched umbels. Bracts to 4.5 × 4 cm, deltoid, up 4.5 cm long, subcordate at the base. Cyathia on peduncles to 1.5 mm long, 5.5 × 10 mm, with cup-shaped involucres; glands 5, spreading, transversely elliptic with outer margin obscurely crenulate; lobes 1.5 × 3 mm, rounded, margin entire and minutely ciliate. Male flowers many: bracteoles laciniate with feathery apices; stamens 8 mm long. Female flower with styles 2 mm long, widely spreading, with shortly bifid apices. Capsule deeply 3-lobed, c. 1.2 cm long and wide; pedicel 2.5 mm long.
Notes: The specimen in the images appears to be the first record for Mozambique.
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat: In seasonally wet areas, among rocks in sandy soils and hard clay.
Altitude range: Up to 1280 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution: Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Mozambique distribution: N
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated: Tuesday 31 August 2021
Literature:

Carter, S. & Leach, L.C. (2001). Euphorbiaceae: subfamily Euphorbioideae: tribe Euphorbieae Flora Zambesiaca 9(5) Pages 380 - 382. (Includes a picture).

Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 41.

Other sources of information about Euphorbia platycephala:

Our websites:

Flora of Malawi: Euphorbia platycephala
Flora of Zambia: Euphorbia platycephala
Flora of Zimbabwe: Euphorbia platycephala

External websites:

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


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave 2007-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Mozambique: Species information: Euphorbia platycephala.
https://www.mozambiqueflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=136260, retrieved 29 March 2024

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