Euphorbia helioscopia

Cladus: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Divisio: Magnoliophyta
Classis: Magnoliopsida
Ordo: Malpighiales
Familia: Euphorbiaceae
Subfamilia: Euphorbioideae
Tribus: Euphorbieae
Subtribus: Euphorbiinae
Genus: Euphorbia
Species: Euphorbia helioscopia

Name

Euphorbia helioscopia L.

Vernacular names
Internationalization
Ελληνικά, Κυπριακά: Γαλατσίδα
English: Sun Spurge
Gàidhlig: Lus nam Foinneachan
Türkçe: Sarı sütleğen, Seher otu

Euphorbia helioscopia (Sun Spurge) is a species of spurge native to most of Europe, northern Africa, and eastward through most of Asia.[1][2][3]

It is an annual plant growing in arable land and disturbed ground. It grows to 10–50 cm tall, with a single, erect, hairless stem, branching toward the top. The leaves are oval, broadest near the tip, 1.5-3 cm long, with a finely toothed margin. The flowers are small, yellow-green, with two to five basal bracts similar to the leaves but yellower; flowering lasts from mid spring to late summer.[3][4]

It is highly poisonous. Active ingredients are extracted from it for use in pharmaceutical industry.

Other old folk names include wart spurge, umbrella milkweed and "madwoman's milk".[4]

References

1. ^ Germplasm Resources Information Network: Euphorbia helioscopia
2. ^ Flora Europaea: Euphorbia helioscopia
3. ^ a b Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). Flora of Britain and Northern Europe. ISBN 0-340-40170-2
4. ^ a b Malta Wild Plants Euphorbia helioscopia