''Euphorbia amygdaloides'', the wood spurge, is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Euphorbiaceae,
native
Native may refer to:
People
* Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth
* Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory
** Native Americans (disambiguation)
In arts and entert ...
to woodland locations in Europe, Turkey and the Caucasus. It is a bushy
evergreen
In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...
perennial
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wid ...
, growing to a height of , with dark green slightly hairy leaves about long. The complex green-yellow inflorescence (
cyathium
A cyathium (plural: cyathia) is one of the specialised pseudanthia ("false flowers") forming the inflorescence of plants in the genus ''Euphorbia'' (Euphorbiaceae). A cyathium consists of:
* Five (rarely four) bracteoles. These are small, uni ...
), typical of ''Euphorbia'', appears in late spring and early summer.
It is among the few plants that thrive in the dry shade of trees, where it is used as
groundcover. It spreads rapidly by underground
rhizomes and can become invasive, though relatively easy to remove.
One form known is
''Euphorbia'' ‘Efanthia’. The subspecies ''E. amygdaloides'' subsp. ''robbiae''
(Turrill) Stace, known as Mrs Robb's bonnet, is grown as a garden plant, and has gained the
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity.
The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...
’s
Award of Garden Merit.
The milky
latex
Latex is an emulsion (stable dispersion) of polymer microparticles in water. Latexes are found in nature, but synthetic latexes are common as well.
In nature, latex is found as a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants (angiosperms ...
of the plant is toxic and can cause irritation on contact with the skin.
References
amygdaloides
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus
Groundcovers
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