SPECIES DESCRIPTION
EUPHORBIA DENDROIDES
Family and Genus:- See- EUPHORBIACEAE/Subgen. ESULA/Sect.
Common Names:- Tree spurge
Homotypic Synonyms:- Esula dendroides, Euphorbion dendroideum,
Tithymalus dendroides.
Meaning:- Euphorbia (L) For Euphorbus, physician to the King of Mauritania.
Dendroides (Gr) Tree-like, branched.
General description:- Tall, hairless, rounded shrub.
Stems:-
1) Up to 200 cm, apparently dichotomously branched.
Leaves:-
1) 25-65 x 3-8 mm, oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, mucronulate.
2) Ray-leaves, like the cauline but rather shorter and wider.
3) Raylet-leaves, broadly rhombic, yellowish.
Flowers:-
1) Rays, 5-8, dichotomous.
2) Glands, suborbicular, irregularly lobed.
Fruit:-
1) Capsule, 5-6 mm, the valves laterally compressed, smooth or nearly so.
2) Seeds, 3 mm, laterally compressed, grey.
Key features:-
1) Leaves, 25-65 mm, glabrous, alternate, rarely opposite, but then not decussate.
2) Capsule, indurate, smooth or nearly so.
3) Glands, suborbicular or ovate, sometimes irregularly lobed but neither horned nor
with the outer margin truncate or emarginate.
Habitat:- Steep, rocky, often S-facing limestone slopes near the sea. 0-500 m.
frequently gregarious and dominant.
Distribution:- Widespread and common throughout the Mediterranean. Somewhat
limited distribution across Crete.
Flowering time:- Feb-Apr.
Photos by:- Steve Lenton
