Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbia

Euphorbia immersa P.R.O.Bally & S.Carter

First published in Candollea 21: 366 (1967)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Somalia. It is a succulent subshrub and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Type
N1, Hargeisa, Gillett 4241 (K holo.)
Morphology General Habit
Dwarf succulent perennial, with a fleshy tuberous root merging into a short thick stem with the apex at ground level
Morphology Branches
Branches tufted around the central growing point, terete, to 3 cm long and 6–8 mm thick, with very shallow tubercles 5–10 mm apart in 3 spiral series
Morphology General Spines
Spine-shields triangular to 4.5 x 2 mm; spines single, often very irregular in length, 0.5–13 mm, slender; prickles vestigial or usually absent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Cymes solitary, 1-forked, with peduncles and cyme-branches c. 2 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts Involucre
Cyathia 3 mm in diam.; glands 1.25 mm broad
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary subsessile; styles c. 1 mm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule and seeds not seen.
Distribution
N1 not known elsewhere.
Ecology
Altitude range 1310–1370 m.
Vernacular
Danegu (Somali)
Note
Known only from the heavily grazed limestone hills surrounding Hargeisa, this may be a poor species, possibly a depauperate form of E. xylacantha Pax, although cultivated specimens retain the short tufted branches and slender spines.
[FSOM]

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 of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • 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 2025. 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 2025. 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