Euphorbiaceae Juss., nom. cons.
pronounced: yoo-for-bee-AY-see-eye
the spurge family
Euphorbus was a physician in ancient Greece. This is one of the largest and most diverse of the plant families. Most members exude a milky sap, generally white, and often toxic. There are many herbaceous spurges, but the Euphorbia genus is best known for its many succulent species, some of which appear to be very similar to cacti. All flowers of the Euphorbiaceae are unisexual, and they are often tiny. In the Euphorbia genus, the flowers are reduced even more and are aggregated into an inflorescence known as a cyathium. The main defining feature of the cyathium is the floral envelope (involucre) that surrounds each group of flowers. The involucre almost always has at least one special gland attached, usually on the upper rim, the glands and their appendages varying greatly in both size and shape. There may also be specialized leaves (cyathophylls) surrounding the cyathium. These give an overall floral appearance to the inflorescence. The actual flowers are inside the involucre. There are usually several extremely simplified male flowers – a single anther, filament and pedicel. In the centre there is generally a single female flower – a pedicel and a 3-part ovary, without any petals or sepals.
Acalypha chamaedrifolia - Red-hot Cat's Tail
Acalypha hispida - Chenille Plant
Acalypha 'Inferno' - Inferno Copperleaf
Acalypha wilkesiana - Copperleaf
Alchornea aquifolia - Native Holly
Alchornea ilicifolia (syn.) - Native Holly
Aleurites moluccanus - Candlenut
Chamaesyce atoto (syn.) - Miri-miri
Chamaesyce macgillivrayi - MacGillivray's Chamaesyce
Chamaesyce prostrata - Prostrate Sandmat
Codiaeum variegatum - Croton
Coelebogyne ilicifolia (syn.) - Native Holly
Croton magneticus - Magnetic Island Croton
Euphorbia atoto - Miri-miri
Euphorbia macgillivrayi (syn.) - MacGillivray's Chamaesyce
Euphorbia cyathophora - Painted Spurge
Euphorbia heterophylla - Milkweed
Euphorbia lactea - Mottled Spurge
Euphorbia leucocephala - Snowflake
Euphorbia milii - Crown of Thorns
Euphorbia prostrata (syn.) - Prostrate Sandmat
Euphorbia pulcherrima - Poinsettia
Euphorbia tannensis - Desert Spurge
Euphorbia tirucalli - Naked Lady
Euphorbia tithymaloides - Devil's Backbone
Excoecaria agallocha - Blind-your-eye Mangrove
Homalanthus nutans - Native Bleeding Heart
Homalanthus populifolius (alt.) - Native Bleeding Heart
Jatropha gossypiifolia - Bellyache Bush
Jatropha multifida - Jatropha Tree
Jatropha podagrica - Gout Plant
Macaranga involucrata var. mallotoides - Brown Macaranga
Macaranga tanarius - Macaranga
Mallotus discolor - Yellow Kamala
Mallotus philippensis - Red Kamala
Manihot esculenta - Cassava
Omalanthus nutans (alt.) - Native Bleeding Heart
Omalanthus populifolius (alt.) - Native Bleeding Heart
Pedilanthus tithymaloides (syn.) - Devil's Backbone
Ricinus communis - Castor Oil Plant
Photograph by Frank Vincentz via Wikimedia Commons
Page last updated 31st January 2018