Euphorbia characias
Botanic Garden
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Euphorbia is a very large and diverse genus of flowering plants, commonly called spurge. This variety, also known as Mediterranean Spurge, blooms in late winter or early spring and has lime green flowers in its cyathium. It is a contender for space in our San Francisco garden.
In the genus Euphorbia, the flowers are reduced in size and aggregated into a cluster of flowers called a cyathium. This feature is present in every species of the genus Euphorbia but nowhere else in the plant kingdom.
The milky sap of spurges (called "latex") evolved as a deterrent to herbivores. It is usually white, and transparent when dry. The pressurized sap seeps from the slightest wound and congeals after a few minutes in air. The skin-irritating and caustic effects are largely caused by varying amounts of diterpenes, which are antimicrobial and anti-nflammatory compounds that are found in retinal and retinol.
Thanks for stopping by!
© Melissa Post 2024
Euphorbia characias
Botanic Garden
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Euphorbia is a very large and diverse genus of flowering plants, commonly called spurge. This variety, also known as Mediterranean Spurge, blooms in late winter or early spring and has lime green flowers in its cyathium. It is a contender for space in our San Francisco garden.
In the genus Euphorbia, the flowers are reduced in size and aggregated into a cluster of flowers called a cyathium. This feature is present in every species of the genus Euphorbia but nowhere else in the plant kingdom.
The milky sap of spurges (called "latex") evolved as a deterrent to herbivores. It is usually white, and transparent when dry. The pressurized sap seeps from the slightest wound and congeals after a few minutes in air. The skin-irritating and caustic effects are largely caused by varying amounts of diterpenes, which are antimicrobial and anti-nflammatory compounds that are found in retinal and retinol.
Thanks for stopping by!
© Melissa Post 2024