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Flower Signals. Euphorbia marginata, Snow-on-the-Mountain, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

When this Euphorbia is about to blossom its uppermost leaves develop white margins. Apparently they function as signals to insects that there are nutrients to be found in the flowers.

This handsome Euphorbia with its 'elegant soft green leaves' (as writes Frederick Traugott Pursh (1774-1820) in 1814) was first collected during the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition in America's West (1804-1806).

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Uploaded on August 22, 2025
Taken on August 22, 2025