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Euphorbia cyathophora

Murray (1786)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Malpighiales Family: Euphorbiaceae Genus: Euphorbia

Mexican fire plant, painted leaf, red leaved wild poinsettia, wild poinsettia

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Glabrous annual herbs.

Stems: Stems green, ascending, somewhat glaucous, 1–5 dm long.

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate toward base of stems, opposite above. Blades linear, ovate, or panduriform, 2–15 cm long, 0.1–4 cm wide. Apex acute or rarely short-acuminate. Base cuneate. Surfaces green, floral leaves usually red at least at base. Margins entire to coarsely dentate. Petiolate. Stipules present, brownish glands.

Flowers: Flowers in cyathia in dense terminal cymes. pistillate flowers solitary, on a gynophore; staminate flowers in 5 groups or cymules, each with 1 to several flowers. involucre ca. 3 mm high, glabrous, gland 1, bilabiate, flattened, without an appendage. Flowers unisexual and highly reduced. Calyx (sepals) absent. Corolla (petals) absent. Male flower reduced to a single stamen, with an articulation at junction of pedicel and filament, subtended by slender bracteoles. Ovary superior, 3-carpellate; ovules 1 per cell, anatropous.

Fruit: Capsules broadly ovoid; 3–4 mm long. Seeds ovoid–cylindrical; the ends truncate or rounded; 2.5–3 mm long; the surface finely and sharply tuberculate; ecarunculate.

Ploidy:

Habitat: Low elevation; dry; disturbed sites.

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) Naturalized
Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Pollinators

Bibliography

Name Published In: Commentat. Soc. Regiae Sci. Gott. 7: 81 (1786)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:618 (Mi, K, O, Mo, M); Staples & Herbst 2005:285 (KEY), 288 (DESCR); Parker & Parsons 2010:41 (H)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Euphorbia cyathophora Laie; Kamehameha Highway Slope = flat. Soil = loam/sand. Roadside, weed or as ornament. Preserved_Specimen Plant #8. Snall shrubs. Milky juice, 3-parted fruiting capsule. Ziegelbauer, K. Oahu BISH 1975-02-06
2 Euphorbia cyathophora Honolulu, Diamond Head Crater Dry Prosopis forest. Preserved_Specimen Shrub 1.5 m. tall, bracts partly scarlet. Fosberg, F.R. 13898 Oahu BISH 1937-05-28
3 Euphorbia cyathophora Discovery Harbor Subdivision, Naalehu Flowering, full sun, in coarse gravel/rock driveway at bottom of private property. Likely introduced from fill dirt or gravel. Indigofera sp., Dichondra sp., Mimosa pudica, Oxalis sp. Preserved_Specimen Flowering. McGuire, R. 10 Hawaii BISH 2008-07-17
4 Euphorbia cyathophora Honolulu: Bishop Museum Growing in deep soil and also in cracks of a stone wall. Preserved_Specimen Herbs; The leaves subtending the syathia are green distally and brick red proximally. Lau, J. 1054 Oahu BISH 1985-06-05
5 Euphorbia cyathophora Honolulu, In Diamond Head Crater Preserved_Specimen Herb-shrub, 1 m. high. St.John, H. 1317 Oahu BISH 1930-05-11
6 Euphorbia cyathophora Seed derived from Waimea, Oahu, and planted in Honolulu garden and then drawn Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 8007 Oahu BISH 1931-01-17
7 Euphorbia cyathophora Roadside at Kaimuki Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 2443 Oahu BISH 1917-04-01
8 Euphorbia cyathophora West of Kekaha Growing in beach sand. In this area the plants form large colonies with kolokolo kai, 'a'ali'i, and koli. Preserved_Specimen Young leaves of kaliko are boiled to make a tea which is used in the treatment of constipation. Funk, E.J. 920042 Kauai BISH 1992-04-13
9 Euphorbia cyathophora Honolulu, Kaimuki Roadside. Preserved_Specimen Only locally common. Degener, O. 2491 Oahu BISH 1928-02-03
10 Euphorbia cyathophora Palaau, in pineapple field on west side of Molokai airport Dry, exposed, windy. Preserved_Specimen Erect herb to sub-shrub. Leaves subtending flowers green with red patches. Herbst, D.R. 5091 Molokai BISH 1974-11-11
11 Euphorbia cyathophora Waimea Along coast in arid region. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 8008 Oahu BISH 1926-07-09
12 Euphorbia cyathophora Honolulu, Bishop Museum Campus Garden near collections building. Partial sun. Weed in flower beds Preserved_Specimen Common Faccenda, K. 2012 Oahu BISH 2021-06-24
13 Euphorbia cyathophora near Kekaha Common weed in dry, disturbed Leucaena thicket . Preserved_Specimen Herb to sub-shrub; leaves subtending inflorescences red centers. Herbst, D.R. 5234 Kauai BISH 1975-02-26
14 Euphorbia cyathophora Mokuleia, Waialua Naturalized in waste places. Preserved_Specimen Degener, O. 30082 Oahu BISH 1965-06-20
15 Euphorbia cyathophora Honolulu, Sunset Beach Soil = sandy loam. Preserved_Specimen Shrub to 6 ft. tall. Poinsettia variety with small bracts. Less common ornamental. Afualo, D. 137 Oahu BISH 1975-03-25
16 Euphorbia cyathophora Honolulu, In Diamond Head Crater Preserved_Specimen Shrubby. St.John, H. 1344 Oahu BISH 1930-05-11
17 Euphorbia cyathophora Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Suffrutescent herb 1 m. tall, red diamond shaped spot at base of floral bracts. Fosberg, F.R. 10529 Oahu BISH 1933-06-28
18 Euphorbia cyathophora W Maui, along Hwy 30 near Olowalu Preserved_Specimen Erect leafy herb to 3 ft. height. Sap somewhat milky. Bracts red, subtending leaves blotched red or occasionally yellow. Nagata, K.M. 892 Maui BISH 1971-10-23
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