David's spurge

Description

Euphorbia davidii, known as David's spurge or toothed spurge, is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family Euphorbiaceae. Euphorbia davidii is native to parts of southwest and central North America. It is apparently not native to eastern and northern North America, South America, Australia, Russia, and other areas where it occurs worldwide. Euphorbia davidii is found in a variety of habitats, from forests, riparian areas, and prairies, to gravel roadsides and railroads. In March 2021 the EPPO (European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization) added E. davidii to its Alert List due to concerns it may move beyond its current habitats - railway lines - and into agricultural lands; and because it recently appeared in Central Russia. Euphorbia is a very large and diverse genus of flowering plants, commonly called spurge, in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). "Euphorbia" is sometimes used in ordinary English to collectively refer to all members of Euphorbiaceae (in deference to the type genus), not just to members of the genus. Some euphorbias are commercially widely available, such as poinsettias at Christmas. Some are commonly cultivated as ornamentals, or collected and highly valued for the aesthetic appearance of their unique floral structures, such as the crown of thorns plant (Euphorbia milii). Euphorbias from the deserts of Southern Africa and Madagascar have evolved physical characteristics and forms similar to cacti of North and South America, so they (along with various other kinds of plants) are often incorrectly referred to as cacti. Some are used as ornamentals in landscaping, because of beautiful or striking overall forms, and drought and heat tolerance. Euphorbias range from tiny annual plants to large and long-lived trees. The genus has over or about 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. Euphorbia antiquorum is the type species for the genus Euphorbia. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 in Species Plantarum.