Euphorbia is a very large and diverse genus of flowering plants, commonly called spurge, in the family Euphorbiaceae. "Euphorbia" is sometimes used in ordinary English to collectively refer to all members of Euphorbiaceae, not just to members of the genus.
The poinsettia is a commercially important flowering plant species of the diverse spurge family Euphorbiaceae. Indigenous to Mexico and Central America, the poinsettia was first described by Europeans in 1834. It is particularly well known for its red and green foliage and is widely used in Christmas floral displays. It derives its common English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States minister to Mexico, who is credited with introducing the plant to the US in the 1820s. Poinsettias are shrubs or small trees, with heights of 0.6 to 4 m. Though often stated to be highly toxic, the poinsettia is not dangerous to pets or children. Exposure to the plant, even consumption, most often results in no effect, though it can cause nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Euphorbia esula, commonly known as green spurge or leafy spurge, is a species of spurge native to central and southern Europe, and eastward through most of Asia north of the Himalaya to Korea and eastern Siberia.
Euphorbia helioscopia, the sun spurge or madwoman's milk, is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family Euphorbiaceae. It is a herbaceous annual plant, native to most of Europe, northern Africa, and eastward through most of Asia.
Euphorbia milii, the crown of thorns, Christ plant, or Christ thorn, is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family Euphorbiaceae, native to Madagascar. The species name commemorates Baron Milius, once Governor of Réunion, who introduced the species to France in 1821. It is imagined that the species was introduced to the Middle East in ancient times, and legend associates it with the crown of thorns worn by Christ. It is commonly used as an ornamental houseplant that can be grown in warmer climates. The common name is due to the thorns and deep red bracts referring to the crown thorn Jesus had to wear during his crucifixion and his blood.
Euphorbia albomarginata, whitemargin sandmat or rattlesnake weed, is a small low-growing perennial, in the spurge family native to desert, chaparral, and grassland habitats of southwestern North America, from southern and central California to Northern Mexico and Louisiana.
Euphorbia peplus, is a species of Euphorbia, native to most of Europe, northern Africa and western Asia, where it typically grows in cultivated arable land, gardens and other disturbed land.
Euphorbia maculata, known as spotted spurge, prostrate spurge, milk purslane, or spotted sandmat, is a fast-growing annual plant in the family Euphorbiaceae. While it is native to North America, where it is a common garden and lawn weed in the United States, it has become a common introduced species throughout the world, including Europe, Japan, Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.
Euphorbia kaokoensis is a rare species of plant found in certain rocky areas of Namibia and Angola. It can appear as a woody shrub or a small tree, with green leaves that pale on undersides, which contain conspicuous veins. Males produce clusters of flowers from November to January. The species is very rare, found only at a few locations, although no threats are known.
Friedrich Schickendantz was a German naturalized Argentine scientist who worked in the fields of mineralogy, chemistry, botany, geology, and meteorology. He was born in Landau, now in the Rhineland-Palatinate state of Germany. He studied chemistry and mineralogy at the University of Munich and the University of Heidelberg, under the direction of Robert Bunsen.
Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family, is a large family of flowering plants. In English, they are also commonly called euphorbias, which is also the name of a genus in the family. Most spurges, such as Euphorbia paralias, are herbs, but some, especially in the tropics, are shrubs or trees, such as Hevea brasiliensis. Some, such as Euphorbia canariensis, are succulent and resemble cacti because of convergent evolution. This family has a cosmopolitan global distribution. The greatest diversity of species is in the tropics, however, the Euphorbiaceae also have many species in nontropical areas of all continents except Antarctica.
Euphorbia celastroides is a flowering plant in the family Euphorbiaceae. It is referred to by the common name 'akoko by Hawaiians, and is a species of spurge closely related to the poinsettia. This species develops into a round-shape shrub. This species is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Hyles nicaea, the Mediterranean hawk-moth, is a moth of the family Sphingidae. The species was first described by Leonardo de Prunner in 1798.
Ectoedemia jubae is a moth of the family Nepticulidae. It is endemic to the Canary Islands.
Euphorbia rigida, the gopher spurge or upright myrtle spurge, is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family Euphorbiaceae, native to southern Europe and southwest Asia. Growing to 50 cm (20 in) tall and broad, it is a bushy evergreen perennial with somewhat fleshy leaves arranged in a spiral, bearing bunches of bright yellow flowers in late Spring.
Euphorbia hirta is a pantropical weed, originating from the tropical regions of the Americas. It is a hairy herb that grows in open grasslands, roadsides and pathways. It is widely used in traditional herbal medicine across many cultures, particularly for asthma, skin ailments, and hypertension. It is also consumed in herbal tea form as folk medicine for fevers in the Philippines, particularly for dengue fever and malaria.
Euphorbia dendroides, also known as tree spurge, is a small tree or large shrub of the family Euphorbiaceae that grows in semi-arid and mediterranean climates.
Chamaesphecia hungarica, the Hungarian clearwing moth, is a moth of the family Sesiidae. It is native to the south-eastern Czech Republic and Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Serbia and Croatia. It was originally approved for introduction into the United States in 1993. It has been released at several leafy spurge-infested sites in Montana and North Dakota.
Chamaesphecia bibioniformis is a moth of the family Sesiidae. It is found in southern Europe and from Asia Minor to Kyrgyzstan.
Euphorbia grandicornis, the cow's horn plant, is a succulent plant of the Euphorbiaceae or spurge family. It is native to the KwaZulu-Natal region of South Africa, to Mozambique, and to Eswatini.
