Euphorbia plygona var. majorThis plant was long known as Euphorbia horrida var. major, but recently
Euphorbia plygona var. majorThis plant was long known as Euphorbia horrida var. major, but recently E. horrida (along with its varieties) has been merged into E. polygona. This seems sensible in light of how similar the two species are, and it avoids fights over whether the various varieties belong in E. horrida or in E. polygona. Euphorbia polygona is one of the species of Euphorbia which possess peduncular spines, which means that the spines are actually modified flower stalks, with the old stalks hardening and remaining in place as armature. The flowering structure in Euphorbia is called a cyathium, with a ring of 5 glands around the tiny flowers. In the photo, the glands vary from olive-green to rust-orange, while the flowers are too small to see well. Like many euphorbias, plants of this species are often mistaken for cacti because of their stout stems and spiny appearance. From the northeast edge of South Africa’s Little Karoo, on the border between Western Cape Province and Eastern Cape Province.-Brian -- source link
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