Euphorbia peplis, the purple spurge,[1] is a species of Euphorbia, native to southern and western Europe, northern Africa, and southwestern Asia, where it typically grows on coastal sand and shingle.[2][3][4]
| Euphorbia peplis | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
| Genus: | Euphorbia |
| Species: | E. peplis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Euphorbia peplis | |
Description
editA small, prostrate, hairless annual plant, the stems growing to 10–20 cm (4–8 in) long, typically with four stems from the base. The leaves are opposite, oval, 1–2 cm (0.4–0.8 in) long, grey-green, somewhat fleshy, reddish-purple veined, with oblique bases and a somewhat curved and wavy shape. Fruit capsules hairless, containing smooth 3mm seeds.[5][3]
Habitat
editSandy sea-shores, rarely inland.[3]
Range
editShores of the Mediterranean, Black, Caspian and Red Seas, Persian Gulf, Ireland (PoWo Map)
At the northern edge of its range in England, it has always been rare, and is now extinct.[4][6]
References
edit- ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- ^ "Euphorbia peplis". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ a b c Tutin. Flora Europaea, vol. 2.
- ^ a b Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). Flora of Britain and Northern Europe. ISBN 0-340-40170-2
- ^ Davis. Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands, vol. 7.
- ^ Pearman, D. A. & Preston, C. D. (2002). The last British record of Euphorbia peplis. BSBI News 91: 25.
External links
edit
Media related to Euphorbia peplis at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Euphorbia peplis at Wikispecies
 | This Euphorbia-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |