Melon spurge (Euphorbia meloformis)
Description
Although some consider Euphorbia valida as synonymous with E. meloformis, E. valida has more persistent peduncles, leading to a bristly appearance, and the mature plants are much taller than E. meloformis. It has round banded stems with 8 to 12 ribs. The variegations on the plant body are a little less striking than E. meloformis. Occasionally there are offsets from the base. It is very similar in look to E. obesa, but with small yellow flowers on long peduncles which dry and persist on the plant after blooming. It needs male and female plants in order to set seed. The male flower consists of one nude stamen only; several such flowers are grouped in a pseudanthium (Cyathium). They develop asynchronously, with usually only one or just a few (ca. 3-5) mature, pollen releasing flowers (stamina) in different stages of maturity present at the same time. After releasing the pollen, they are dropped soon. A female Cyathium of this group usually contains a single flower, which consists of a syncarpous gynoecium of three carpels with one ovule each, and three styles that are joined at the base. The fruit is a dry capsule that "explodes" when it turns mature, catapulting the seeds that it contains (usually 3) up to several meters away from the mother plant.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Malpighiales
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Family: Euphorbiaceae
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Genus: Euphorbia
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