Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbia

Euphorbia gossypina Pax

First published in Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 19: 119 (1894)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Somalia to N. Zimbabwe. It is a semisucculent shrub and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Glabrous much-branched sprawling or scrambling shrub, 1.5–2.5 m high
Morphology Branches
Branches widely spreading, succulent, green, 5–10 mm thick, with prominent callose leaf-scars
Morphology Leaves
Leaves sessile, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 1–4 x 0.2–1 cm, reflexed, soon deciduous; stipules absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Cymes in 4–8-branched umbels surrounding a central sessile cyathium, with simple rays 8–25 mm long; bracts often persistent, sessile, broadly deltoid, 5 x 6 mm, the umbellate bracts ovate, 1–1.5 x 0.6–1 cm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre
Cyathia on peduncles 2–4 mm long, c. 7 mm in diam., the central cyathium larger, and developing only male flowers, deciduous; glands 4, or 6–8 on the central cyathium, 3.5–4.5 mm broad, yellow
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracteoles
Bracteoles very numerous, white, plumose, well exserted
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Styles c. 2.5 mm long, joined at the base, spreading, with deeply bifid apices
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule exserted on a recurved pedicel 6–8 mm long, obtusely 3-lobed, c. 5.5 x 7 mm
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ovoid, 3 x 2.5 mm, obscurely rugose, pale greyish brown; caruncle 1.3 mm across.
Distribution
C2; S1–3; W Uganda, Kenya, NE Tanzania
Ecology
Altitude range 40–350 m.
Vernacular
Ciin, dani, wanawaney, wanloaney (Somali)
Note
The Somali plant is var. gossypina. Var. coccinea Pax is confined to S. Kenya and N. Tanzania.
[FSOM]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Euphorbiaceae, A. R.-Smith. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1987

Morphology General Habit
Glabrous much-branched perennial shrub, sprawling to 1.5 m. high or scrambling in bushes and small trees to 4 m. high; branches spreading, ± succulent, green, ± 1 cm. thick, with dark brown leaf-scars becoming ± prominent on older branches.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves sessile, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate to 4 × 1 cm., reflexed, caducous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Cymes in 4–8-branched umbels surrounding a central sessile cyathium, with simple rays to 3 cm. long, rarely more; bracts deciduous or persistent, green or red, broadly deltoid to 5 × 6 mm., with apex occasionally ciliate, the umbellate bracts ovate to 15 × 10 mm.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Cyathia
Cyathia on peduncles to 4 mm. long, ± 3 × 7.5 mm., with funnel-shaped involucres, the central cyathium a little larger and usually deciduous, developing only ♂ flowers; glands 4(–5), or 6–8 on the central cyathium, subcircular to transversely elliptic, ± 3 × 4.5 mm., ± reflexed; lobes subquadrate, ± 1 × 1.5 mm., margin ciliate, with deeply notched apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Male flowers:bracteoles very numerous, spathulate, deeply laciniate, plumose; stamens 5 mm. long. Female flower:ovary pedicellate; styles ± 3 mm. long, joined at the base, with spreading, deeply bifid apices.
sex Male
Male flowers:bracteoles very numerous, spathulate, deeply laciniate, plumose; stamens 5 mm. long.
sex Female
Female flower:ovary pedicellate; styles ± 3 mm. long, joined at the base, with spreading, deeply bifid apices.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule obtusely 3-lobed, ± 5.5 × 7 mm. on a pedicel to ± 8 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ovoid, 3 × 2.5 mm., slightly laterally compressed, pale greyish brown, faintly mottled, almost smooth; caruncle 1.3 mm. across.
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0