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.

Mozambique: 66 taxa.

The larvae of the following species of insect eat species of this genus:
Zizeeria knysna (Sooty blue)
Euphorbia hirta

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

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
ambroseae L.C. Leach var. ambroseae [End]Z,MS,GIDescription, Image
ambroseae L.C. Leach var. spinosa L.C. Leach[NrEnd]T,MS,GI
angularis Klotzsch[End]N
baylissii L.C. Leach[End]GI,M
bougheyi L.C. Leach[End]Z,MS,GIDescription, Image
citrina S. Carter[NrEnd]MSDescription, Image
clavigera N.E. Br.M
confinalis R.A. Dyer subsp. confinalis MS,MDescription, Image
contorta L.C. Leach[End]N,Z
cooperi N.E. Br. ex A. Berger var. cooperi N,GI,MDescription, Image
cooperi N.E. Br. ex A. Berger var. calidicola L.C. LeachT,MSDescription, Image
corniculata R.A. Dyer[End]N
crebrifolia S. Carter[NrEnd]MSDescription, Image
cuneata Vahl subsp. cuneata MS,GI,MDescription, Image
cyathophora MurrayGI,MDescription, Image
cyparissioides PaxMSDescription, Image
decliviticola L.C. Leach[NrEnd]N,Z
depauperata Hochst. ex A. Rich. var. tsetserrensis S. Carter[NrEnd]MSDescription, Image
epicyparissias (Klotzsch & Garcke) Boiss.GI,M
goetzei PaxNImage
grandicornis Goebel ex N.E. Br. subsp. grandicornis [NrEnd]MS,GI,M
grandicornis Goebel ex N.E. Br. subsp. sejuncta L.C. Leach[End]N
grandidens Haw.M
graniticola L.C. Leach[End]MSDescription, Image
griseola Pax subsp. griseola MSDescription, Image
griseola Pax subsp. mashonica L.C. LeachTDescription, Image
halipedicola L.C. LeachN,Z,MS,GIDescription, Image
heterophylla L.Z,MS,MDescription, Image
hirta L.N,Z,T,MS,GI,MDescription, Image
inaequilatera Sond. var. inaequilatera Z,GI,M
indica Lam.T,MS,GIDescription, Image
ingens E. Mey. ex Boiss.N,T,GI,MDescription, Image
keithii R.A. Dyer[NrEnd]M
kilwana N.E. Br.GI
knuthii Pax subsp. johnsonii (N.E. Br.) L.C. Leach[End]MS
knuthii Pax subsp. knuthii [NrEnd]M
limpopoana L.C. Leach ex S. CarterGI
lividiflora L.C. LeachN,MS,GIDescription, Image
lupatensis N.E. Br.MSDescription, Image
malevola L.C. LeachTDescription, Image
marrupana Bruyns[End]N
matabelensis PaxN,T,MS,GIDescription, Image
milii Des Moul.Description, Image
mlanjeana Leach[NrEnd]Z
mossambicensis (Klotzsch & Garcke) Boiss.Z,T,MSDescription, Image
namuliensis Bruyns[End]Z
neopolycnemoides Pax & K. Hoffm.MDescription, Image
platycephala PaxNDescription, Image
plenispina S. Carter[End]MS
prostrata AitonN,Z,MS,GI,MDescription, Image
ramulosa L.C. Leach[End]N,Z
rugosiflora L.C. Leach[NrEnd]MS?
schimperiana Scheele var. schimperiana Description
schimperiana Scheele var. pubescens (N.E. Br.) S. CarterZ,TDescription, Image
schlechteri Pax[End]M
serpens KunthMS,GI,MDescription, Image
stenocaulis Bruyns[End]ZImage
systyloides Pax subsp. porcaticapsa S. CarterZ
tettensis KlotzschT,MSDescription, Image
thymifolia L.Z
tirucalli L.Z,T,MS,GI,MDescription, Image
tortirama R.A. DyerGIImage
transvaalensis Schltr.TDescription, Image
triangularis Desf. ex A. BergerM
unicornis R.A. Dyer[End][VU]NDescription, Image
zambesiana Benth. var. zambesiana MDescription, 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: Euphorbia
Flora of Malawi: cultivated 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 2007-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Mozambique: Genus page: Euphorbia.
https://www.mozambiqueflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=875, retrieved 19 March 2024

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