Indian Spurgetree (Euphorbia nivulia)
Description
Euphorbia neriifolia, the "oleander-leafed spurge," is a large much branched xerophytic fleshy shrub, which sometimes grows into a small tree 2-6 metres, or more in height with rounded branches. Main trunk and larger branches are round and terete, the younger branchlets somewhat verticillate, without articulations, fleshy, cactus-like, swirled, light-green, glabrous, 8-30(-40) mm thick, often leafless, and spine shield in 5 distinct rows on more or less distinct angles (not winged) which are are visible for a long time. Short (1-4 mm long), paired sharp, persistent, greyish-brown to black, from low conical truncate distant spirally arranged tubercles 2-5 mm hight and 2-3 cm apart. Towards the end of branches, fleshy, alternate, subsessile, ovate, oblong or spathulate (5-)10-18(-30) cm long by (1.5-)3-4(-7.5) cm, base attenuate, margins entire, apex rounded and hairless. Leaves are deciduous, persistent during the vegetation period and falling in the late summer/ fall. 3 to 7 flowered cymes or panicles appearing laterally in the axils of the upper leaves on short, rigid and forked peduncles. Flattened-globose 1.5-2 mm x 4-5 mm, reddish, prominent in groups of tree, the central one subsessile, the lateral ones with a peduncle of 6-7 mm, cyathial glands 5 oblong, 1-3 mm broad. Corolla absent but the involucre has two nearly round to ovate, bright red bracts 3-7 mm long. 3-lobed, smooth 10-12 mm in diameter. It is very similar to Euphorbia nivulia, from which it differs chiefly in the shorter stature, the 5-angled branches and the more narrowly-oblanceolate acute leaves up to 30 cm long.
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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