EUPHORBIA PEPLIS

Family and Genus:- See- EUPHORBIACEAE/ Subgen. CHAMAESYCE

Common Names:- Purple spurge

Homotypic Synonyms:- Anisophyllum peplis, Chamaesyce peplis, Tithymalus

peplis.

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

Peplis (Gr) A name used by the Greek physician and botanist

Dioscorides for Mediterranean coastal spurge.

General description:- Procumbent, somewhat fleshy, glabrous, annual.

Stems:-

1) Up to 40 cm. Usually with 4 branches from the base.

Leaves:-

1) (4-)5-11(-16) x 2·5-5(-10) mm, falcate-oblong, obtuse or emarginate, entire, base

truncate.

2) Petiole, 2-3 mm.

3) Stipules, 1·5 mm, subulate.

Flowers:-

1) Greenish, with semicircular, reddish-brown glands, lateral or clustered, not borne

in umbels.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, (3-)3·5-4(-4·5) x 4-5 mm, sulcate, nearly smooth, purplish.

2) Seeds, 3 mm, ovoid-pyriform, smooth, pale grey, occasionally brown-mottled.

Key features:-

1) Leaves, ovate or falcate-oblong.

2) Seeds, 3 mm.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- A typical species of maritime sand. 0-20 m. with Calystegia soldanella,

Eryngium maritimum, etc.

Distribution:- Sandy sea-shores, rarely inland. Coasts of S. & W. Europe,

northwards to S.W. England. On Crete fairly common around coastal areas.

Flowering time:- May-July

Photos by:- Fotis Samaritakis