Euphorbia amygdaloides L., Euphorbiaceae

Click on an image for links to BIGGER PICTURES

Present on Pacific Islands?  no

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  High risk, score: 12 (Go to the risk assessment)

Common name(s): [more details]

English: wood spurge

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Pubescent tufted or extensively rhizomatous perennial, flowering stems biennial, to 80 cm.  Cauline leaves of first year's growth shortly petiolate, oblanceolate to obovate-oblanceolate or elliptic, (1-) 4-11 x 0.7-2.7 cm, apex obtuse or subacute, tapered to base, entire, forming a rosette; second year cauline leaves and ray-leaves sessile, oblong or elliptic to suborbicular, 1-2.5 x 0.3-1.5 cm, apex obtuse, rounded at base.  Raylet-leaf 'cups' (1-) 1.5-2 (-2.3) cm across,  Rays 5-8, once or twice dichotomous; axillary rays (0) 3-17.  Glands long-horned.  Fruit trilobate, 3.5 mm in diameter, smooth.  Seeds ovoid, 2 mm, smooth, dark grey, caruncle small, patelliform"  (Davis et al., 1965; vol. 7, p. 626).

"Pubescent, caespitose perennial; stem up to 90 cm, with up to 30 axillary rays.  Leaves (10-) 25-70 (-130) x (5-) 10-20 (-30) mm, oblanceolate to obovate or spathulate, entire.  Ray-leaves broadly ovate.  Raylet-leaves partially or wholly connate, rarely more or less free.  Rays (3-) 5-11, up to 4 times dichotomous.  Glands with 2 horns.  Capsule 3-4 x 2.5-4 mm, deeply sulcate, punctate.  Seeds 2-2.5 mm, ovoid, blackish"  (Tutin, 1964; vol. 2, p. 226).

Habitat/ecology:  In Turkey, "Fagus and Abies forest, Carpinus woodland, Rhododendron, Laurus and Rubus scrub, banks, by springs, 50-2000 m"  (Davis et al., 1965; vol. 7, p. 626).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Europe, western Asia and northern Africa (GRIN).

Additional information:
Additional online information about Euphorbia amygdaloides is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Euphorbia amygdaloides as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Euphorbia amygdaloides may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Davis, P. H./Mill, R. R./Tan, Kit, eds. 1965. Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands. Edinburgh, University Press. 1965-1988, 10 vols.

Tutin, T. G., et al., eds. 1964. Flora Europaea. Cambridge University Press. 5 vol. plus index.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.