Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbia

Euphorbia heterophylla L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 453 (1753)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Central & S. U.S.A. to Tropical & Subtropical America. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is used as animal food, a poison and a medicine, has environmental uses and social uses and for food.

Descriptions

Euphorbiaceae, S. Carter & L.C. Leach. Flora Zambesiaca 9:5. 2001

Morphology General Habit
Annual herb erect to 1 m high, often tinged red; stem hollow; branches sparse, glabrous to sparsely pilose towards the apices.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves with a petiole to 2(4) cm long; stipules modified as fairly conspicuous purplish glands; lamina to 12 × 6 cm, ovate, obtuse at the apex, cuneate at the base, with minute distant gland-tipped teeth at the margin, occasionally more coarsely toothed, glabrous to sparsely pilose around the edges on the upper surface, pilose with septate hairs especially on the midrib and nerves on the lower surface, glabrescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Cymes terminal and axillary, each forking c. 5 times, with rays progressively shorter from c. 15 cm to c. 2 mm long and cyathia densely clustered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Basal bracts similar to the leaves but paler green, progressively smaller, more lanceolate and sessile above.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Cyathia
Cyathia c. 3.5 × 2.5 mm with barrel-shaped involucres, glabrous; gland peltate, 1 mm long, funnel-shaped, the opening circular, 1.2 mm across, often red-rimmed; lobes c. 1.3 mm long, subcircular, deeply and sharply toothed with margins minutely ciliate.
sex Male
Male flowers: bracteoles few, ligulate, feathery; stamens 4 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Female flower: ovary pedicellate, glabrous or occasionally with minute scattered hairs, the perianth forming an obvious rim; styles c. 1 mm long, occasionally minutely puberulous, bifid to halfway. Male flowers: bracteoles few, ligulate, feathery; stamens 4 mm long.
sex Female
Female flower: ovary pedicellate, glabrous or occasionally with minute scattered hairs, the perianth forming an obvious rim; styles c. 1 mm long, occasionally minutely puberulous, bifid to halfway.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule exserted on a reflexed pedicel to 6 mm long, c. 4.5 × 5.5 mm, deeply 3-lobed.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 2.6 × 2.4 mm, conical with acute apex, bluntly verrucose, blackish-brown.
[FZ]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean, Caribbean, Pacific. Elevation range: 80–2600 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Atlántico, Bolívar, Cundinamarca, Huila, Magdalena, Nariño, Quindío, San Andrés y Providencia, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

Euphorbiaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:2. 1958

Morphology General Habit
A rather lax erect annual weed, to 3 ft. high; locally abundant.
Note
In most specimens from our area the upper leaves and bracts are either entirely green, or with whitish blotches at the base, or tinged purplish on the petiole, nerves and margins; Deighton 4505 and Meikle 877 are specimens of the form with red or orange blotches which is sometimes cultivated.
[FWTA]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Annual herb to 60 cm high, with branches glabrous to sparsely pilose towards the apices
Morphology Leaves
Leaves ovate, to 6 x 3 cm, margin with minute distant gland-tipped teeth, both surfaces, especially the lower, sparsely pilose with septate hairs, glabrescent; petiole to 2 cm long; stipular glands purplish
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre
Cyathia densely clustered in terminal and axillary cymes, forking 2–5 times with progressively shorter rays from 5 cm to 2 mm long; basal bracts similar to the leaves but progressively smaller and subsessile above Cyathia glabrous, 3.5 mm in diam.; gland peltate, funnel-shaped with a circular opening 1.2 mm wide, often red-rimmed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Styles 1 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule exserted on a recurved pedicel 6 mm long, deeply 3-lobed, 4.5 x 5.5 mm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds conical with acute apex, 2.6 x 2.4 mm, bluntly tuberculate, blackish brown.
Distribution
S1, 2 naturalized throughout tropical Africa, a pantropical weed originating from Central America.
Ecology
Altitude range 0–375 m.
[FSOM]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
clavo de cristo, golondrina, gota de sangre, viernes santo, yerba lechera
[UNAL]

Euphorbiaceae, A. R.-Smith. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1987

Morphology General Habit
Erect annual herb to 1 m. high, with branches glabrous to sparsely pilose towards the apices, often tinged red.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves ovate, to 12 × 6 cm., base cuneate, apex obtuse, margin with minute distant gland-tipped teeth, occasionally more coarsely toothed, upper surface glabrous to sparsely pilose around the edges, lower surface pilose with septate hairs especially on the midrib and nerves, glabrescent; petiole to 2(–4) cm. long; glandular stipules fairly large, purplish.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Cyathia
Cyathia densely clustered in axillary and terminal cymes forking ± 5 times, with progressively shorter rays from ± 15 cm. to ± 2 mm. long; basal bracts similar to the leaves but paler green, progressively smaller, more lanceolate and subsessile above. Cyathia glabrous, ± 3.5 × 2.5 mm., with goblet-shaped involucres; gland peltate, funnel-shaped, 1 mm. long, the opening circular, 1.2 mm. across, red-rimmed; lobes subcircular, ± 1.3 mm. long, deeply and sharply toothed with margins minutely ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Male flowers:bracteoles few, ligulate, feathery; stamens 4 mm. long. Female flower:ovary pedicellate, glabrous or occasionally with minute scattered hairs, the perianth forming an obvious rim; styles ± 1 mm. long, occasionally minutely puberulous, bifid to halfway.
sex Male
Male flowers:bracteoles few, ligulate, feathery; stamens 4 mm. long.
sex Female
Female flower:ovary pedicellate, glabrous or occasionally with minute scattered hairs, the perianth forming an obvious rim; styles ± 1 mm. long, occasionally minutely puberulous, bifid to halfway.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule exserted on a reflexed pedicel to 6 mm. long, deeply 3-lobed, ± 4.5 × 5.5 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds conical with acute apex, 2.6 × 2.4 mm., blackish brown, surface bluntly tuberculate.
Habitat
A weed of cultivation; 150–3000 m.
Distribution
K1 K3 K4 K5 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T6 T7 T8 U1 U2 throughout tropical Africa, a pantropical weed originating from Central America
[FTEA]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/126519432/192136545

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 80 - 2000 m.; Andes, Llanura del Caribe.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
No Evaluada
[CPLC]

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit
An annual or sometimes persisting herb, usually less than 50 cm tall; leaves alternate below, opposite above, the membranous blades pandurate, obovate or elliptic, rarely lanceolate, the margins entire or with 1–few broad teeth, glabrous or pubescent, those subtending the inflorescence-cluster often pale or purple-mottled at the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Cyathia
Cyathia glabrous, the gland with a slightly flared round opening
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule ca. 5 mm broad; seeds up to 2.5 mm long, tuberculate.
Distribution
Grand Cayman. Southeastern U.S.A. and tropical America.
Ecology
A widely distributed and common weed of roadsides and fields.
[Cayman]

Uses

Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Gene Sources
Used as gene sources.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Poisons
Poisons.
Use Social
Social uses.
[UPFC]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Neotropikey

    • Milliken, W., Klitgard, B. and Baracat, A. (2009 onwards), Neotropikey - Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics.
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0