Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
mottled spurge
References
Britannica AI Icon

mottled spurge

plant
Also known as: Euphorbia lactea
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

Mottled spurge (Euphorbia lactea) is a succulent plant native to the East Indies. It is a species within the large and diverse genus Euphorbia, which belongs to the family Euphorbiaceae and includes at least 2,100 species. Unlike cacti, which some euphorbias resemble, euphorbias have a milky sap that is often poisonous. Mottled spurge is grown as a hedge in mild climates and is characterized by its spined, fleshy stems. The genus Euphorbia is known for its unique floral structures, called cyathia, which consist of a single female flower surrounded by numerous male flowers, all enclosed in a cup-shaped structure.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
2 Britannica Sources
  1. prairie spurge
  2. spurge

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.