Tag Archives: Euphorbia

Euphorbia equisetiformis Stewart

Equisetiform Spurge (Euphorbia equisetiformis)

This enigmatic species is known only from the type material that was collected on Isla Isabella, Galápagos Islands, it appears not to be related to any other Central- or South American species of its genus.

The species is a leafless, middle-sized shrub with several stems that bear clusters of branches on their upper nodes. [1]

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References:

[1] I. Loren Wiggins; D. M. Porter; E. F. Anderson: Flora of the Galápagos Islands. Stanford University Press 1971

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edited: 11.06.2020

Euphorbia boinensis Denis ex Humbert & Leandri

Ankarafantsika Spurge (Euphorbia boinensis)

The Ankarafantsika Spurge, a multi-branched, climbing plant, was restricted to a locality in northwestern Madagascar, it is known exclusively from two collections, one made in 1900, and the second one in 1920.

The locality were this species was found, are now highly degraded, it was never found since 1920 and is thought to be globally extinct. 

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edited: 18.01.2020

Euphorbia alcicornis Baker

Elk-horned Spurge (Euphorbia alcicornis)

The Elk-horned Spurge, described in 1887, is, or was, restricted to central Madagascar.
It is a succulent, multi-branched shrub or treelet, its upright growing branches are about 0,3 to 0,5 cm in diameter.

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The Elk-horned Spurge is not fully researched and might turn out to be not a valid species at all.

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edited: 18.01.2020

Euphorbia quitensis Boiss.

Quito Spurge (Euphorbia quitensis)

The Quito Spurge is known only from two collections, the first one from 1862 and the other one from 1887, the species was found in mountain forests at elevations of 2500 to 3000 m on the western slopes of the Andes.

The species was never recorded since and is very likely already extinct. 

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edited: 21.01.2019

Euphorbia celastroides var. tomentella (Boiss.) Oudejans

Waianae Spurge (Euphorbia celastroides var. tomentella 

This plant, one of eight varieties within this species, was endemic to the Wai’anae Range on the island of O’ahu, Hawai’i Islands.  

It is now considered extinct.  

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The several varieties of some of the Hawaiian spurge species (Euphorbia celastroides Boiss., Euphorbia multiformis Hook. & Arn., Euphorbia remyi A. Gray ex Boiss., Euphorbia skottsbergii Sherff) are not accepted by all botanists and are sometimes included within the respective nominate forms.

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edited: 05.09.2020

Euphorbia tardieuana Leandri

Tardieu’s Spurge (Euphorbia tardieuana)  

This species is known exclusively from the type collection made in 1927 in the evergreen forests in the area around the two rivers Mangoro and Nosivolo at Madagascar’s east coast.  

The species appears to have never been found since, and since the type locality is now highly degraded, it may be completely extinct.  

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There exists the chance that Tardieu’s Spurge is identical with another spurge species, Mangelsdorff’s Spurge (Euphorbia mangelsdorffii Rauh.), a species that is quite well known and often kept in cultivation.

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edited: 13.05.2013

Euphorbia hexadenia Denis

Ambovatoby Spurge (Euphorbia hexadenia)

This species was described in 1887, originally as Euphorbia daphnoides Baill., however, this name was already used for another species, so the species was redescribed in 1921.

The species was apparently restricted to the Ambavatoby Bay at the north coast of Madagascar.

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Unfortunately I could not found any more information about this species.

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References:

[1] Thomas Haevermans; Germinal Rouhan; Wilbert Hetterscheid; Marc Teissier; Karim Belarbi; Xavier Aubriot; Jean-Noël Labat: Chaos revisited: nomenclature and typi fi cation of the Malagasy endemic Euphorbia subgenus Lacanthis  (Raf.) M. G. Gilbert. Adansonia sér 3. 31(2): 279-299. 2009

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edited: 23.04.2019