EUPHORBIACEAE - Spurge Family
Herbs, shrubs, or trees with milky sap
Leaves alternate, simple or compound, reduced or deciduous in
xerophytic species
Flowers unisexual, actinomorphic, infl. often condensed with the
appearance of a single flower; plants monoecious or dioecious
Fruit a schizocarp or capsule
Seed often with a conspicuous caruncle (appendage)
Two "types" of flowers
Euphorbia type
NonEuphorbia type, Croton and Xylophylla are
examples.
300 genera, 7500 species
Very large diverse family with large trees to cactus-like
plants found in Old World (Africa) - an example of convergent
evolution
Economic uses:
Hevea
- Brazilian rubber plant
Medicinal uses - root tea used as laxative, emetic, and for
internal parasites, many members of this family are poisonous, some
may cause contact dermatitis.
Diagnostic charactersitics: milky sap, unusual "flowers", 3-lobed
fruit
IMAGE GALLERY
FLOWERING
PLANT GATEWAY
