SPECIES DESCRIPTION
EUPHORBIA EXIGUA
Family and Genus:- See- EUPHORBIACEAE/Subgen. ESULA/Sect.
Common Names:- Dwarf spurge
Homotypic Synonyms:- Esula exigua, Keraselma exiguum, Tithymalus
exiguus.
Meaning:- Euphorbia (L) For Euphorbus, physician to the King of Mauritania.
Exigua (L) Very small, meagre, poor,
General description:- Herbaceous plants, male and female flowers on the same
plant.
Stems:-
1) Up to 35 cm. Glabrous, erect.
Leaves:-
1) Upper cauline, 3-25 x 1-2 mm, linear to oblong cuneate, entire.
2) Ray-leaves, like the upper cauline.
3) Raylet-leaves, obliquely triangular-ovate-lanceolate, rarely 1- to 2-toothed on one
side near the base.
Flowers:-
1) Rays, 3-5, up to 7 times dichotomous.
2) Glands, with 2 horns, rarely the horns much reduced.
Fruit:-
1) Capsule, 1·6-2 x 1·6 mm, shallowly sulcate, smooth but granulate on the keels.
2) Seeds, 1-2 mm, ovoid-quadrangular, vermiculate-rugose.
Key features:-
1) Leaves, linear to linear-oblanceolate.
2) Capsule, 1·6-2 x 1·6 mm.
3) Seeds, tuberculate or rugulose.
Habitat:- Field margins, olive groves, open dry shrubby vegetation and ruderal
habitats. 0-700 (-1100) m.
Distribution:- Widespread and common throughout the Mediterranean and SW
Asia. Widespread and common on Crete.
Flowering time:- Late Mar to June.
Photos by:- Steve Lenton
