Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbia

Euphorbia fanshawei L.C.Leach

First published in J. S. African Bot. 39: 8 (1973)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is N. Zambia. It is a succulent tuberous subshrub and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

Euphorbiaceae, S. Carter & L.C. Leach. Flora Zambesiaca 9:5. 2001

Morphology General Habit
Spiny succulent dwarf perennial, with a much-reduced underground stem merging into a ± depressed subspherical tuberous root to c. 8 cm in diameter.
Morphology Branches
Branches numerous radiating from stem apex, erect and spreading, simple, to 15 cm long and 4–7 mm in diameter, (4)5–6-angled; angles with very prominent tubercles to 7 mm high and 5–20 mm apart along the margins.
Morphology General Spines
Spine shields borne on the upper oblique edge of the tubercles, c. 3 × 3 mm, subquadrate, dark reddish-brown; spines to 4 mm long with expanded bases, widely spreading; prickles obsolete.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves to 2.5 mm long, fleshy, subconical, acute, erect, deciduous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Cymes solitary, simple, or occasionally 2-forked or reduced to a single cyathium, peduncles to 5 mm long, cyme branches to 4 mm long; bracts 1 × 1.5 mm, scale-like.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Cyathia
Cyathia 2–2.5 × 5 mm, with cup-shaped involucres; glands c. 2 × 1 mm, transversely oblong, spreading, yellow; lobes c. 1 × 2 mm, transversely broadly elliptic, fimbriate.
sex Male
Male flowers c. 20: fascicular bracts finely divided; bracteoles 1.75 mm long, filiform; stamens 3.5 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Female flower: perianth 3-lobed, ovary deeply obtusely lobed, exserted on a recurved pedicel 6 mm long; styles 3–3.5 mm long, shortly united at the base, widely spreading with bifid apices. Male flowers c. 20: fascicular bracts finely divided; bracteoles 1.75 mm long, filiform; stamens 3.5 mm long.
sex Female
Female flower: perianth 3-lobed, ovary deeply obtusely lobed, exserted on a recurved pedicel 6 mm long; styles 3–3.5 mm long, shortly united at the base, widely spreading with bifid apices.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule and seeds not seen.
[FZ]

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: threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora Zambesiaca

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

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • 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 2026. 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 2026. 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