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.

Zambia: 68 taxa.

Insects associated with this genus:
Zizeeria knysna (Sooty blue) Food plant
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Links to taxa:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this genus

SpeciesFZ divisionsContent
ampliphylla Pax N
arrecta N.E. Br.N
benthamii HiernB,N,C,SDescription, Image
cataractarum S. Carter N
cooperi N.E. Br. ex A. Berger var. calidicola L.C. LeachW,E,SDescription, Image
cooperi N.E. Br. ex A. Berger var. ussanguensis (N.E.Br.) L.C. Leach [DD]N,C,E
crotonoides Boiss. subsp. crotonoides B,C,SDescription, Image
cyathophora MurrayW,CDescription, Image
cyparissioides PaxN,W,CDescription, Image
debilispina L.C. Leach [EN]CDescription
decidua P.R.O. Bally & L.C. Leach[DD]N,W,CDescription, Image
depauperata Hochst. ex A. Rich. var. depauperata NDescription, Image
depauperata Hochst. ex A.Rich. var. trachycarpa (Pax) S.Carter E
distinctissima L.C. Leach [VU]N
dolichoceras S. Carter
eranthes R.A. Dyer & Milne-Redh. [NrEnd]N,WDescription, Image
erythrocephala P.R.O.Bally & Milne-Redh. W
espinosa PaxB,C,E,SDescription, Image
eylesii RendleB,C,SDescription, Image
fanshawei L.C. Leach [VU]N
fortissima L.C. Leach[DD]S
goetzei PaxNImage
grantii Oliv. N
griseola Pax subsp. griseola SDescription, Image
griseola Pax subsp. mashonica L.C. LeachEDescription, Image
griseola Pax subsp. zambiensis L.C.Leach [DD]N,W,C
helioscopia L.
heterophylla L.W,C,SDescription, Image
hirta L.B,W,C,E,SDescription, Image
inaequilatera Sond. var. inaequilatera B,C,S
indica Lam.N,C,SDescription, Image
ingens E. Mey. ex Boiss.W,SDescription, Image
inundaticola L.C. Leach [DD]E
jubata L.C. Leach [DD]N,C
luapulana L.C. Leach [End][DD]NDescription, Image
lupatensis N.E. Br.C,E,SDescription, Image
malevola L.C. LeachSDescription, Image
matabelensis PaxN,W,C,E,SDescription, Image
mossambicensis (Klotzsch & Garcke) Boiss.C,SDescription, Image
mwinilungensis L.C. Leach [DD]W
oatesii RolfeB,W,C,SDescription, Image
papillosicapsa L.C. Leach [DD]N
peplus L.WDescription, Image
perplexa L.C. Leach var. kasamana L.C.Leach [VU]N
perplexa L.C. Leach var. perplexa [DD]N
persistentifolia L.C. Leach[NrEnd]SDescription
platycephala PaxB,W,E,SDescription, Image
platyrrhiza L.C. Leach [DD]B
polycnemoides Hochst. ex Boiss. S
prostrata AitonB,N,C,E,SDescription, Image
rubriflora N.E. Br.SDescription, Image
ruficeps S.Carter N,W,C,E
schimperiana Scheele var. schimperiana EDescription
schimperiana Scheele var. pubescens (N.E. Br.) S. CarterEDescription, Image
seretii De Wild. var. variantissima L.C.Leach [DD]W,C
speciosa L.C. Leach [VU]NImage
spissiflora S. CarterB,S
systyloides Pax subsp. porcaticapsa S. CarterS
tettensis KlotzschC,E,SDescription, Image
tholicola L.C. LeachE
thymifolia L.W,E
tirucalli L.E,SDescription, Image
torta Pax & K. Hoffm. N
transvaalensis Schltr.B,C,E,SDescription, Image
whellanii L.C. Leach [DD]N
williamsonii L.C. Leach [End][DD]NDescription, Image
zambesiana Benth. var. zambesiana N,W,CDescription, Image
zambesiana Benth. var. villosula (Pax) N.E.Brown N

Other sources of information about Euphorbia:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Euphorbia
Flora of Botswana: cultivated Euphorbia
Flora of Burundi: Euphorbia
Flora of Caprivi: Euphorbia
Flora of the DRC: Euphorbia
Flora of Malawi: Euphorbia
Flora of Malawi: cultivated Euphorbia
Flora of Mozambique: Euphorbia
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Euphorbia
Flora of Rwanda: 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: Mike Bingham, Annette Willemen, Nicholas Wightman, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Mark Hyde, 2011-25

Bingham, M.G., Willemen, A., Wightman, N., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. and Hyde, M.A. (2025). Flora of Zambia: Genus page: Euphorbia.
https://www.zambiaflora.com/speciesdata/genus.php?genus_id=875, retrieved 1 April 2025

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