Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbia

Euphorbia ritchiei (P.R.O.Bally) Bruyns

First published in Taxon 55: 415 (2006)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Kenya. It is a succulent subshrub and grows primarily in the desert or dry shrubland biome.

Descriptions

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]

Euphorbiaceae, A. R.-Smith. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1987

Morphology General Habit
Succulent perennial herb, with a thick fleshy rootstock; stems erect, decumbent or rhizomatous to 40 cm. long, 1.5–3 cm. thick, tessellated, with prominent conical tubercles bearing the leaves in usually 5 spiralled series.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves sessile, broadly obovate, to 3 × 2.5 cm., apex obtuse, apiculate, margin entire and minutely crisped; stipules evident as 3–5 very slender prickles surrounding the leaf-scar, each to 2.5 mm. long but soon breaking off.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Cymes on stout peduncles to 8 mm. long, 1-forked but often with only one branch developing, arising in the axils of the tubercles and occasionally flanked by a minute prickle; bract-cup slightly longer than the involucre, ± 7 × 6 mm., shallowly notched between acute apices and ± prominent midribs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Cyathia
Cyathia ± 6 × 5 mm., with cup-shaped involucres; glandular rim 2.5 mm. high; lobes rounded, ± 1.2 × 1.2 mm.
sex Male
Male flowers:bracteoles laciniate, puberulous; stamens 3.3 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Female flower:perianth evident in fruit as a 3-lobed rim, to 3 mm. in diameter; styles 1.5 mm. long, joined at the base, with thickened rugulose bifid apices. Male flowers:bracteoles laciniate, puberulous; stamens 3.3 mm. long.
sex Female
Female flower:perianth evident in fruit as a 3-lobed rim, to 3 mm. in diameter; styles 1.5 mm. long, joined at the base, with thickened rugulose bifid apices.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule exserted on a stout pedicel to 6 mm. long, acutely 3-lobed with truncate base, ± 4.5 × 4.5 mm., and with a pair of narrow fleshy crenulate ridges along the angles.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds oblong, obtusely 4-angled, with truncate base, 3 × 1.75 mm., grey, minutely tuberculate; caruncle domed, 1 mm. in diameter.
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • 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

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images