Euphorbia ammak
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Euphorbia ammak | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
| Genus: | Euphorbia |
| Species: | E. ammak |
| Binomial name | |
| Euphorbia ammak | |
Euphorbia ammak, commonly known as giant milk bush, African candelabra and candelabra spurge,[2] is a species of plant in the family Euphorbiaceae native to the Arabian Peninsula.
As most other succulent members of the genus Euphorbia, its trade is regulated under Appendix II of CITES.[3] In 1998, the plant was assessed for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and was listed as Vulnerable.[1]
Inflorescence
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It forms a tree up to 10 meters high with upright and curved main shoots. The square shoots reach a thickness of 12 to 15 centimeters. On the wing-like edges there are curved teeth at a distance of up to 1 centimeter from each other. The inverted triangular thorn shields stand individually. Thorns up to 1 centimeter long are formed. In a suitable climate (humid and warm at the same time) the leaves appear at the tops of the branches.[4]
On seedlings, the lanceolate leaves are up to 40 millimeters long and up to 7 millimeters wide; on younger shoots of older plants the leaves are not so large. Branches initially about 60 cm long, rising vertically upwards, 4-5-ribbed, deeply furrowed, dark green; ribs thick, wavy; young non-flowering shoots with a pair of thorns at a distance of 1 cm from each other. The branches are covered with spines around 1 cm long. Thorns dark brown, 1 cm long, in the form of horns or inverted triangles. Its short trunk, which is 10-15 cm thick, resembles a cactus, and its inversely conical crown makes it look like a candelabrum, hence one of its common names.[4][2]
The inflorescence is formed from individual, simple and almost sessile cymes. The cyathia reach about 10 millimeters in diameter. The nectar glands are elliptical and the ovary has a three-lobed, slit perianth. The deeply lobed fruit is on a thick, 9 to 14 millimeter long stalk and is 9 millimeters long and 14 millimeters wide. The almost round and smooth seed reaches 3 millimeters in diameter.[4]
