Euphorbia spinosa
| Euphorbia spinosa | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| In commune of Saint-Raphaël, Var, France | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
| Genus: | Euphorbia |
| Species: | E. spinosa |
| Binomial name | |
| Euphorbia spinosa | |
| Subspecies[1] | |
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Euphorbia spinosa, the spiny spurge, is a species of spurge that grows in habitats around the Mediterranean Sea, mainly in Europe.
Description
Spiny spurge is a small spiny shrub growing 10 to 20 centimeters (4–8 in) tall. Its stems are thin and branch freely to form a rounded and spiny mound.[2] It is similar to Greek spiny spurge (Euphorbia acanthothamnos), but with stems that are not as stiff and weakly spiny tips that are not sharp.[3] The plants are hairless and have few leaves. What leaves they have are bluish-green, narrowly lanceolate, and about 1 cm long.[2]
Taxonomy
Euphorbia spinosa was given its scientific name by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. It is classified as part of the Euphorbia genus within the Euphorbiaceae family and has three accepted subspecies.[1]
- Euphorbia spinosa subsp. glabriflora – Native to the western Balkan Peninsula[4]
- Euphorbia spinosa subsp. ligustica – Native to the Italian peninsula[5]
- Euphorbia spinosa subsp. spinosa – Widespread southern Europe and Libya[6]
Euphorbia spinosa has 20 synonyms of the species or one of its three subspecies.[7]
| Name | Year | Rank | Synonym of: | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Euphorbia fragifera var. inermis Nyman | 1881 | variety | subsp. glabriflora | = het. |
| Euphorbia glabriflora Vis. | 1865 | species | subsp. glabriflora | ≡ hom. |
| Euphorbia haworthii Sweet | 1826 | species | subsp. spinosa | = het., nom. illeg. homonym. post. |
| Euphorbia inermis Pančić ex Boiss. | 1866 | species | subsp. glabriflora | = het., nom. illeg. homonym. post. |
| Euphorbia linariifolia Willd. | 1799 | species | subsp. spinosa | = het., nom. illeg. homonym. post. |
| Euphorbia linarioides Poir. | 1812 | species | subsp. spinosa | = het. |
| Euphorbia petaloides G.Don | 1830 | species | subsp. spinosa | = het. |
| Euphorbia pindicola Hausskn. | 1897 | species | subsp. glabriflora | = het. |
| Euphorbia pubescens var. glabriflora (Vis.) Nyman | 1881 | variety | subsp. glabriflora | ≡ hom. |
| Euphorbia pungens Lam. | 1788 | species | subsp. spinosa | = het. |
| Euphorbia rigens Sweet | 1830 | species | subsp. spinosa | = het. |
| Euphorbia rigidula Steud. | 1840 | species | subsp. spinosa | = het. |
| Euphorbia spinosa var. brachyadenia Boiss. | 1862 | variety | subsp. spinosa | = het. |
| Euphorbia spinosa var. inermis Boiss. | 1862 | variety | subsp. spinosa | = het. |
| Euphorbia spinosa f. ligustica Fiori | 1901 | form | subsp. ligustica | ≡ hom. |
| Galarhoeus spinosus (L.) Haw. | 1812 | species | E. spinosa | ≡ hom. |
| Keraselma pungens (Lam.) Raf. | 1840 | species | subsp. spinosa | = het. |
| Tithymalus diffusus Lam. | 1779 | species | subsp. spinosa | = het. |
| Tithymalus glabriflorus (Vis.) Soják | 1972 | species | subsp. glabriflora | ≡ hom. |
| Tithymalus spinosus (L.) Raf. | 1838 | species | E. spinosa | ≡ hom. |
| Notes: ≡ homotypic synonym; = heterotypic synonym | ||||
Names
Euphorbia spinosa is known by the common names spiny spurge or thorny spurge.[2][8] However, the central and southern European species Euphorbia verrucosa is also called spiny spurge at times.[9]
Range and habitat
It is native to the Mediterranean basin mostly in Europe,[2] but also to Libya in North Africa.[1] In southwestern Europe it grows in Spain, France, Corsica, and Sardinia. While in southeastern Europe it is found in Sicily, Italy, Croatia, Bosnia & Hercegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Albania and Greece. In Turkey its range crosses over to southwestern Anatolia, in Asia.[10] It grows in dry, rocky areas.[2]
References
Citations
- 1 2 3 4 POWO 2026a.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Polunin & Huxley 1987, p. 116.
- ↑ Grey-Wilson 1993, p. 118.
- ↑ POWO 2026b.
- ↑ POWO 2026c.
- ↑ POWO 2026d.
- ↑ POWO 2026a; POWO 2026b; POWO 2026c; POWO 2026d.
- ↑ Garms 1967, p. 81.
- ↑ Spohn & Spohn 2008, p. 213.
- ↑ Hassler 2026.
Sources
Books
- Garms, Harry (1967). A., Melderis; Pope, Joyce (eds.). The Natural History of Europe. Translated by Korman, H. London: Hamlyn. OCLC 214308483. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- Grey-Wilson, Christopher (1993). Mediterranean Wild Flowers. London: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-00-219901-8. OCLC 28533308. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- Polunin, Oleg; Huxley, Anthony (1987). Flowers of the Mediterranean. London: Chatto & Windus. ISBN 978-0-7011-3695-6. OCLC 23942205. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- Spohn, Margot; Spohn, Roland (2008). Wild Flowers of Britain and Europe. London: A & C Black. ISBN 978-1-4081-0153-7. OCLC 214308483. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
Web sources
- Hassler, Michael (20 May 2026). "Euphorbia spinosa in the Synonymic Checklist and Distribution of the World Flora. Version 26.05". World Plants. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- POWO (2026a). "Euphorbia spinosa L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- POWO (2026b). "Euphorbia spinosa subsp. glabriflora (Vis.) Frajman". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- POWO (2026c). "Euphorbia spinosa subsp. ligustica (Fiori) Pignatti". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- POWO (2026d). "Euphorbia spinosa subsp. spinosa". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
External links
