EuphorbiaceaeEuphorbiaceae (), the spurge family, is a large family of flowering plants. In English, they are also commonly called euphorbias, which is also the name of the type genus of the family. Most spurges, such as Euphorbia paralias, are herbs, but some, especially in the tropics, are shrubs or trees, such as Hevea brasiliensis. Some, such as Euphorbia canariensis, are succulent and resemble cacti because of convergent evolution. This family has a cosmopolitan global distribution.
Flowering plantClade of seed plants that produce flowersFlowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the cladeAngiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Greek words ἀγγεῖον (angeion; 'container, vessel') and σπέρμα (sperma; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed within a fruit. The group was formerly called Magnoliophyta.
SeedIn botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a testa. More generally, the term seed means anything that can be sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds are the product of the ripened ovule, after the embryo sac is fertilized by sperm from pollen, forming a zygote. The embryo within a seed develops from the zygote and grows within the mother plant to a certain size before growth is halted.
BeanA bean is the seed of plants in many genera of the legume family (Fabaceae) used as a vegetable for human consumption or animal feed. The seeds are sold fresh or preserved through drying (a pulse). Beans have been cultivated since the seventh millennium BCE in Thailand, and since the second millennium BCE in Europe and in Peru. Most beans, with the exception of peas, are summer crops. As legumes, the plants fix nitrogen and form seeds with a high protein content.
FabaceaeFamily of legume flowering plantsFabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as the legume, pea, or bean family, is a large and agriculturally important family of flowering plants. It includes trees, shrubs, and perennial or annualherbaceous plants, which are easily recognized by their fruit (legume) and their compound, stipulate leaves.
EuphorbiaEuphorbia is a large and diverse genus of flowering plants, commonly called spurge, in the familyEuphorbiaceae. Euphorbias range from tiny annual plants to large and long-lived trees, with perhaps the tallest being Euphorbia ampliphylla at 30 m (98 ft) or more. The genus has roughly 2,000 members, making it one of the largest genera of flowering plants. It also has one of the largest ranges of chromosome counts, along with Rumex and Senecio.
PerennialIn botany, the term perennial ( + , "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also loosely used to distinguish plants with little or no woody growth (secondary growth in girth) from trees and shrubs, which are also technically perennials. An estimated 94% of plant species are perennials.Mediterranean basinIn biogeography, the Mediterranean basin ( MED-ih-tə-RAY-nee-ən), also known as the Mediterranean region or sometimes Mediterranea, is the region of lands around the Mediterranean Sea that mostly have a Mediterranean climate, with mild to cool, rainy winters and warm to hot, dry summers, which supports characteristic Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub vegetation.
East AfricaRegions of the African Union: Northern Western Southern Eastern CentralEast Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the region is recognized in the United Nations Statistics Divisionscheme as encompassing 18 sovereign states and 4 territories.
Monotypic taxonIn biology, for ranks such as genus or family, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate extant taxon. In the case of genera, the term "unispecific" or "monospecific" is sometimes preferred. In botanical nomenclature, a monotypic genus is a genus in the special case in which a genus and a single extant species are simultaneously described.
GenusGenus (; pl.: genera) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial species name for each species within the genus. E.g. Panthera leo (lion) and Panthera onca (jaguar) are two species within the genus Panthera.SubtribeIn a social and political context, a subtribe is a subgroup within a broader communal or identity bloc that functions as a distinct social unit. Subtribes are defined less by strict lineage and more by shared religious affiliation, ethnic origin, ideology, locality, language, or historical experience.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.