Contains 24 genera and 104 accepted taxa overall.
This family is completely databased for all specimens.
Characteristics
EUPHORBIACEAE
Dicot
-
Classification
MALPIGHIALES
EUPHORBIACEAE
Genera
| Genus | Common Name | Taxa Count | Herbarium Specimens | Photos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acalypha | THREESEED MERCURY | 9 | ||
| Aleurites | 1 | |||
| Argythamnia | SILVERBUSH | 1 | ||
| Astraea | 1 | |||
| Caperonia | FALSE CROTON | 2 | ||
| Cnidoscolus | CNIDOSCOLUS | 2 | ||
| Codiaeum | 1 | |||
| Croton | CROTON | 13 | ||
| Dalechampia | SPURGECREEPER | 1 | ||
| Ditrysinia | SEBASTIAN-BUSH | 1 | ||
| Euphorbia | SPURGE; SANDMAT | 50 | ||
| Gymnanthes | GYMNANTHES | 1 | ||
| Hippomane | HIPPOMANE | 1 | ||
| Hura | SANDBOX TREE | 1 | ||
| Jatropha | NETTLESPURGE | 4 | ||
| Mallotus | 1 | |||
| Manihot | CASSAVA | 2 | ||
| Microstachys | 1 | |||
| Ricinus | RICINUS | 1 | ||
| Sapium | MILKTREE | 1 | ||
| Stillingia | TOOTHLEAF | 2 | ||
| Tragia | NOSEBURN | 5 | ||
| Triadica | 1 | |||
| Vernicia | VERNICIA | 1 |
Identification Key
1. Inflorescence a cyathium (a female flower, often pedicellate, surrounded by individual stamens, often pedicellate, subtended by an involucre often bearing glands and petaloid appendages)
1. Flowers solitary, in spiciform or paniculiform inflorescences, or in a pseudanthium with 3 female flowers
2
2. Leaf blades lobed, sometimes obscurely, usually at least some blades lobed on the plant, or if unlobed then the larger blades broadly ovate (>4 cm wide) and entire or irregularly toothed
3
2. Leaf blades unlobed, if broadly ovate (>4 cm wide) then regularly undulate, crenate, to serrate, rarely entire
11
3. Leaves peltate
3. Leaves not peltate
4
4. Vines; inflorescence subtended by 2 foliaceous bracts 2-3 cm long
4. Herbs, shrubs, to trees; inflorescence bracts not foliaceous, 0.1-1 cm long
5
5. Leaf blade margins regularly, finely crenate to serrate
5. Leaf blade margins entire or with coarse lobate teeth-like projections
6
6. Plant with stellate hairs
7
6. Plant without stellate hairs
8
7. Leaf blade secondary and tertiary veins curving, branching, or reticulate, not straight
7. Leaf blade secondary and cross-veins straight or nearly so
8. Tree to 20 m; petals 2-3 cm long; seeds 2-2.5 cm long
8. Herb, shrub, or small tree to 6 m; petals 0.3-1.5 cm long or absent with petaloid sepals; seeds 0.5-2 cm long
9
9. Calyx green; petals pale green, red, to purple
9. Calyx petaloid, white to reddish white; petals absent
10
10. Herb or regularly branched shrub to tree; stinging trichomes present or absent; stamens connate
10. Sparingly branched shrub; stinging trichomes absent; stamens free
11. Plant with stinging trichomes
11. Plant without stinging trichomes
12
12. Staminate (and sometimes pistillate) flowers with conspicuous petals, rarely absent (if absent then plant with stellate trichomes or scales)
13
12. Flowers without petals (sepals usually present but not petaloid; plant without stellate trichomes or scales)
15
13. Leaf blades with 8-25 straight secondary veins
13. Leaf blades with arcuate, irregular, or branching secondary veins or few straight secondary veins
14
14. Plant with malpighiaceous trichomes
14. Plant with stellate trichomes or scales
15. Petiole apex with 2 glands
16
15. Petiole apex without glands or glands inconspicuous (blade sometimes with glands)
19
16. Petioles 0-0.9 cm long; leaf blades linear-lanceolate, <2.5 cm wide
16. Petioles mostly 1-6 cm long; leaf blades ovate, ovate-elliptic, to rhomboid, mostly >3 cm wide
17
17. Petiole apex with a single gland; fruit a drupe
17. Petiole apex with 2 glands; fruit a dehiscent capsule
18
18. Leaf blade crenate-serrulate; fruit a woody capsule, with 5-20 carpels; seeds flattened discs
18. Leaf blade entire; fruit a brittle capsule, with 2-3 carpels; seeds ovoid-angular
19. Two glands subtending each inflorescence bract
20
19. Without glands subtending the inflorescence bracts
22
20. Plants without hairs; larger leaf blades mostly >4 cm long, linear, linear-lanceolate, elliptic, oblanceolate, to obovate, crenulate to serrulate; staminate sepals 2; stamens 2; capsule base persisting as a 3-lobed gynobase
20. Plants with hairs; leaf blades mostly <6 cm long, lanceolate, ovate, to elliptic, entire to finely serrulate; staminate sepals 3; stamens 3; capsule base not persisting
21
21. Shrub to 3 m; latex not evident; stem and leaves puberulent to glabrous; leaf blade entire
21. Annual herb to 0.5 m; latex milky; stem and sometimes leaves hirsute; leaf blade minutely crenulate-serrulate
22. Leaf blade entire, often variegated
22. Leaf blade toothed (usually at least some blades on the plant), sometimes the teeth few and obscure near the apex
23
23. Leaf blade usually toothed throughout, usually widest at or below the middle; sepals 3-6; styles usually multifid or laciniate, rarely 2-fid or unbranched; stamens 4–8
23. Leaf blade obscurely toothed at the distal end, usually widest at or above the middle; sepals absent; styles unbranched; stamens (2–)4(–5)