Euphorbias pages 1, Euphorbia

Euphorbias a Family of plants found in many countries, over 4,000 different species are said to exist which makes the genus a very large group of plants. Euphorbias belong to the Euphorbacea family and the most distinctive feature of the family are the ability to produce a milky substance from the leaves and stems when cut open. This substance in some cases can be extremely toxic and very few animals or insects can prey on this family. The other distinctive characteristic of the family is the flower structure. Most types produce flowers without petals with a 3 pronged stigma on the female flowers. Some species even have male and female plants. The seed pod has 3 sections each holding 1 seed that is exploded out of the pot when mature.

Euphorbias are highly varied and could be mini-grass like plants on the ground to huge trees. The Euphorbacea family has many succulent plants representing root, stem and leaf succulents. Many of the Euphorbias are very ornamental plants so quite a few varieties have been used in horticulture. Common mass produced Euphorbias are Poinsettia, Crown of Thorns (E millii hybrids), The African Milk Tree (E trigona) and a number of others. Other genera in the Euphorbacea family readily known are the Rubber Trees (Ficus).

There are no specific rules to growing Euphorbias as the genus is so large and has plants coming from a huge range of climates. Pictured below are just a small sample of members in the family.

	Euphorbia polygona 'Snow Flake' Slow growing rarity, clustering habit to 30cm, hardy.		Euphorbia caput-medusae 'The Medusa Head' Novelty plant up to 60cm across.
Euphorbia ingens 'Variagata' 'Ammak' Upright branching habit to 3 meters. Can be pruned for shape and branching. Hardy, frost free zones only.		Euphorbia eritrea Upright branching habit. Indoor or outdoor. Frost tender.
	Euphorbia mamillaris 'Variagata' 'The Corn Cob' Compact ground cover to 15cm. Hardy, avoid sever frost areas.		Euphorbia millii 'The Crown of Thorn' Small shrub to 1 meter, hardy. White or red flowers most of the year. Leaves to 12cm.
Euphorbia mamillaris Upright branching habit to 1 meter. Hardy, stems 8cm thick.		Euphorbia microcactus Clumping habit to 40cm. Very attractive foliage. Hardy in well drained soil in frost free areas.

(Enter these pages to explore the amazing world of these incredible plants.) Pages to be developed later.