EUPHORBIA FALCATA subsp. FALCATA

Family and Genus:- See- EUPHORBIACEAE/Subgen. ESULA/Sect.

CYMATOSPERMUM

Common Names:- Sickle spurge

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Euphorbia (L) For Euphorbus, physician to the King of Mauritania.

Falcata (L) Sickle-shaped.

General description:- Herbaceous, glabrous annual

Stems:-

1) Up to 40 cm, simple or with 2-3(-9) branches from the base, with (0-)8(-16)

axillary rays.

Leaves:-

1) 5-30 x 3-5 mm, obovate-spathulate to linear-oblong, cuneate, mucronate, entire.

2) Ray-leaves, like the cauline.

3) Raylet-leaves, up to 21 x 10 mm, asymmetrically suborbicular or elliptic-ovate,

acuminate to aristate, subentire.

Flowers:-

1) Rays, 4-5, up to 5 times dichotomous.

2) Glands, broad, with 2 horns.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, 1·5-2 x 1-2·5 mm, shallowly sulcate, smooth.

2) Seeds, 1·2 mm, flattened-ovoid-quadrangular, pale grey or brown.

Key features:-

1) Seeds sulcate, not pitted; capsule not ridged.

2) Seeds transversely sulcate,

Family and Genus:- See-

Habitat:- Field margins, vineyards, secondary grassland, open woodland. 0-800 m.

Distribution:- Throughout Greece, but not Peloponnisos. - Mediterranean region

and SW to C Asia. Restricted occurrence on Crete, limited to a few coastal areas.

Rare.

Flowering time:- Apr-July.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton