Euphorbia helioscopia

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Euphorbia helioscopia
Flowers and immature fruit
Flowers and immature fruit
Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Genus: Euphorbia
Species: E. helioscopia

Binomial name
Euphorbia helioscopia
L.

Euphorbia helioscopia (Sun Spurge) is a species of spurge native to most of Europe, northern Africa, and eastward through most of Asia.[1][2][3]

It is an annual plant growing in arable land and disturbed ground. It grows to 10–50 cm tall, with a single, erect, hairless stem, branching toward the top. The leaves are oval, broadest near the tip, 1.5-3 cm long, with a finely toothed margin. The flowers are small, yellow-green, with two to five basal bracts similar to the leaves but yellower; flowering lasts from mid spring to late summer.[3][4]

It is highly poisonous. Active ingredients are extracted from it for use in pharmaceutical industry.

Other old folk names include wart spurge, umbrella milkweed and "madwoman's milk".[4]

References

  1. Germplasm Resources Information Network: Euphorbia helioscopia
  2. Flora Europaea: Euphorbia helioscopia
  3. 3.0 3.1 Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). Flora of Britain and Northern Europe. ISBN 0-340-40170-2
  4. 4.0 4.1 Malta Wild Plants Euphorbia helioscopia

Template:Commons Template:Euphorbia-stub

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