Difference between revisions of "Euphorbiaceae"

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{{automatic taxobox
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#redirect [[:Category:Euphorbiaceae]]
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|image = Starr_020803-0119_Aleurites_moluccana.jpg
 
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|image_caption = Parts of the [[candlenut tree]] <br>(''Aleurites moluccana'')
 
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|taxon = Euphorbiaceae
 
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|authority = [[Antoine Laurent de Jussieu|Juss.]]<ref name=APGIII2009>{{Cite journal |last=Angiosperm Phylogeny Group |year=2009 |title=An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III |journal=Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=161 |issue=2 |pages=105–121 |url=http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/122630309/abstract | format= PDF |accessdate=2013-06-26 |doi=10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x }}</ref>
 
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|subdivision_ranks = [[Subfamily|Subfamilies]]
 
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|subdivision = *[[Acalyphoideae]]
 
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*[[Crotonoideae]]
 
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*[[Euphorbioideae]]
 
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}}
 
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The '''Euphorbiaceae''',  in common English sometimes called '''[[euphorbia]]s''',<ref>[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/euphorbia Euphorbia, Merriam Webster Dictionary]</ref> which is also the name of a [[genus]] in the family, is a large family, the '''[[spurge]] family''', of  [[flowering plant]]s with about 300 genera and 6,500 species.<ref name=TPL>{{cite web |title=The Plant list: Euphorbiaceae |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh and Missouri Botanic Gardens |url=http://www.theplantlist.org/1.1/browse/A/Euphorbiaceae/ |accessdate=31 March 2017 }}</ref>  Most spurges such as ''[[Euphorbia paralias]]'' are [[herb]]s, but some, especially in the [[tropics]], are [[shrub]]s or [[tree]]s, such as ''[[Hevea brasiliensis]]''. Some, such as ''[[Euphorbia canariensis]]'',<ref name=Bramwell>{{Cite book |last=Bramwell |first=D. |last2=Bramwell |first2=Z. |year=2001 |title=Wild Flowers of the Canary Islands |edition=2nd |location=Madrid |publisher=Rueda |isbn=8472071294 }}</ref>{{rp|206}} are [[succulent]] and resemble [[cactus|cacti]] because of convergent evolution.<ref>{{cite web|title=Convergent evolution of cacti and euphorbias |author=Natasha Nguyen |date=2014 |
 
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url=http://plantconvergentevolution.weebly.com/adaptations-of-cacti-and-euphorbias.html |accessdate=31 March 2007 }}</ref>
 
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This family occurs mainly in the tropics, with the majority of the species in the [[Indomalaya ecozone|Indo-Malayan]] region and tropical [[Americas|America]] a good second. A large variety occurs in tropical Africa, but they are not as abundant or varied as in the two other tropical regions. However, ''Euphorbia'' also has many [[species]] in nontropical areas such as the [[Mediterranean Basin]], the [[Middle East]], [[South Africa]], and the southern United States.
 
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The [[Leaf|leaves]] are alternate, seldom opposite, with [[stipule]]s. They are mainly simple, but where compound, are always [[palmate]], never [[pinnate]]. Stipules may be reduced to [[trichome#Plant trichomes|hair]]s, glands, or [[spine (botany)|spine]]s, or in succulent species are sometimes absent.
 
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The plants can be [[Plant sexuality|monoecious]] or dioecious. The radially symmetrical [[flower]]s are unisexual, with the male and female flowers usually on the same plant. As can be expected from such a large family,a wide variety exists in the structure of the flowers. The [[stamen]]s (the male organs) number from one to 10 (or even more). The female flowers are [[hypogynous]], that is, with superior [[ovary (plants)|ovaries]].
 
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[[Image:E baylissii ies.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Cyathia of a ''Euphorbia'']]
 
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The genera in tribe [[Euphorbieae]], subtribe [[Euphorbiinae]] (''[[Euphorbia]]'' and close relatives) show a highly specialized form of [[pseudanthium]] ("false flower" made up of several true flowers) called a [[cyathium]]. This is usually a small, cup-like [[Involucral bract|involucre]] consisting of fused-together bracts and peripheral nectary glands, surrounding a ring of male flowers, each a single stamen. In the middle of the cyathium stands a female flower: a single [[Carpel|pistil]] with branched stigmas. This whole arrangement resembles a single flower.
 
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The [[fruit]] is usually a [[schizocarp]], but sometimes a [[drupe]]. A typical schizocarp is the regma, a capsular fruit with three or more cells, each of which splits open at maturity into separate parts and then breaks away explosively, scattering the small seeds.
 
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The family contains a large variety of [[phytotoxin]]s (toxic substances produced by plants), mainly [[Terpene|diterpene]] [[ester]]s, [[alkaloid]]s,  [[glycoside]]s, and [[ricin]]-type [[toxin]]s.{{vague|date=March 2017}}
 
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A milky [[latex]] is a characteristic of the subfamilies [[Euphorbioideae]] and [[Crotonoideae]], and the latex of the rubber tree ''[[Hevea brasiliensis]]'' is the primary source of natural rubber.  The latex is [[poison]]ous in the Euphorbioideae, but innocuous in the Crotonoideae.{{Citation needed|date=February 2011}} White mangrove (''[[Excoecaria]] agallocha''), or blind-your-eye mangrove latex causes blistering on contact and temporary blindness if it contacts the eyes.  Other common names are milky mangrove, ''buta buta'' ([[Malay language|Malay]]), and ''gewa'' ([[Bengali Language|Bangladesh]]). The latex of [[spurge]] was used as a [[laxative]].
 
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Recent molecular studies have shown that the enigmatic family [[Rafflesiaceae]], which was only recently recognized to belong to order [[Malpighiales]], is derived from within the Euphorbiaceae.<ref>(Davis et al. 2007).</ref>
 
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== Taxonomy ==
 
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{{main article|List of Euphorbiaceae genera}}
 
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The Euphorbiaceae family has about 7,500 species organised into 300 genera, 37 tribes, and three subfamilies
 
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== Uses ==
 
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A number of plants of the spurge family are of considerable economic importance. Prominent plants include [[cassava]] (''Manihot esculenta''), [[castor oil plant]] (''Ricinus communis''), Barbados nut (''[[Jatropha curcas]]''), and the [[Para rubber tree]] (''Hevea brasiliensis'').
 
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Many are grown as [[ornamental plant]]s, such as poinsettia (''[[Euphorbia pulcherrima]]'').  Leafy spurge (''[[Euphorbia esula]]'') and [[Chinese tallow]] (''Triadica sebifera'') are [[Invasive species|invasive]] weeds in North America.
 
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In medicine, some species of the Euphorbiaceae proved effective against genital [[herpes]] (HSV-2).<ref>LA Betancur-Galvis; GE Morales; JE Forero & J Roldan (2002), "[http://www.bioline.org.br/abstract?id=oc02103 Cytotoxic and Antiviral Activities of Colombian Medicinal Plant Extracts of the Euphorbia genus]", ''Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz'', Vol. 97, No. 4, 2002, pp. 541-546. Retrieved through Bioline International (keywords: herpes simplex - Bioline Code: oc02103)</ref>
 
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== Vulnerability ==
 
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Some species, despite their medicinal benefits, are facing the risk of becoming extinct. These include the ''Euphorbia'' species ''[[Euphorbia appariciana|E.&nbsp;appariciana]]'', ''[[Euphorbia attastoma|E.&nbsp;attastoma]]'', ''[[Euphorbia crossadenia|E.&nbsp;crossadenia]]'', and ''[[Euphorbia gymnoclada|E.&nbsp;gymnoclada]]''.<ref>[http://names.cria.org.br/index?lang=en&genus=Euphorbia&search_cria=true&search_others=true Names.cria.org.br]</ref>
 
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== References ==
 
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{{reflist}}
 
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{{Commons category}}
 
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* [http://public.fotki.com/plumo/euphorbia/ Marc Altenloh collection (Photos)]
 
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* Charles C. Davis,  Maribeth Latvis,  Daniel L. Nickrent,  Kenneth J. Wurdack,  David A. Baum. 2007. Floral gigantism in Rafflesiaceae. Science Express, published online January 11, 2007 (online abstract [http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/1135260 here]).
 
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* [[International Euphorbia Society]]
 
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* [http://www.cssainc.org/ Cactus and Succulent Society of America]
 
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* [http://www.ars-grin.gov/~sbmljw/cgi-bin/family.pl?433 Data from GRIN Taxonomy]
 
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* [http://delta-intkey.com/angio/www/Euphorbi.htm Euphorbiaceae] in [https://web.archive.org/web/20101213041459/http://delta-intkey.com/angio/ L. Watson and M.J. Dallwitz (1992 onwards). The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, information retrieval.] https://web.archive.org/web/20070103200438/http://delta-intkey.com:80/
 
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{{taxonbar}}
 
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[[Category:Malpighiales families]]
 
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[[Category:Euphorbiaceae| ]]
 
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[[Category:Poisonous plants]]
 

Latest revision as of 15:44, 30 July 2017

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