Euphorbia canariensis

Species of flowering plant in the spurge family Euphorbiaceae

Euphorbia canariensis

Canary Island spurge close to the Mirador de Archipenque at Los Gigantes

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]

CITES Appendix II (CITES)[2]

Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Plantae
Clade:  | Tracheophytes
Clade:  | Angiosperms
Clade:  | Eudicots
Clade:  | Rosids
Order:  | Malpighiales
Family:  | Euphorbiaceae
Genus:  | Euphorbia
Species:  |

E. canariensis

Binomial name
Euphorbia canariensis

L.[3]

Synonyms

Euphorbia canariensis Forssk.
Euphorbia canariensis Thunb.
Euphorbia canariensis Tremaut[4]
Tithymalus quadrangularis Kigg[5]
[6]

Euphorbia canariensis, commonly known as the Canary Island spurge, Hercules club[7] or in Spanish cardón,[8]: 206 is a succulent member of the genus Euphorbia and family Euphorbiaceae[3] endemic to the Canary Islands.[9] It is the plant symbol of the island of Gran Canaria.[10]

## Description[edit]

The Canary Island spurge is a succulent shrub, growing to between 3 and 4 metres (10 and 13 ft) high. It is made up of fleshy quadrangular or pentagonal trunks that look like cacti. It has no leaves, instead bearing spines 5 to 14 millimetres (0.20 to 0.55 in) long. It produces reddish-green flowers.[9] It is hardy to −2 °C (28 °F).[11]

The latex, which contains diterpenes[12] is poisonous.[13]

* Spines on a young shoot

* Flowers

* Fruit

## Distribution[edit]

The species is found on the narrow coastal belt, from sea level to 1,100 metres (3,600 ft) in the Canary Islands.[13]

## See also[edit]

* List of animal and plant symbols of the Canary Islands

## References[edit]

1. ^ Beech, E. (2017). "Euphorbia canariensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T79727248A79727254. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T79727248A79727254.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
2. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2024-01-17.
3. ^ a b "Euphorbia canariensis". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
4. ^ International Plant Names Index. "whole name = Euphorbia canariensis". Retrieved 2008-03-22.
5. ^ Wijnands, D. O. (1983). "Euphorbiaceae". The Botany of the Commelins: A Taxonomical, Nomenclatural, and Historical. CRC Press. ISBN 978-90-6191-262-0. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
6. ^ Decandolle, A.P. (1837). "Euphorbia canariensis". Plantarum historia succulentarum = Histoire des plantes grasses. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
7. ^ Barbara J. Collins, Ph.D. (2007-08-09). "Photographs of succulents Euphorbia canariensis 4744". Photographs of succulents. California Lutheran University. Retrieved 2008-03-23.
8. ^ Bramwell, David & Bramwell, Zoë (2001). Wild Flowers of the Canary Islands (2nd ed.). Madrid: Rueda. p. 206\. ISBN 978-84-7207-129-2.
9. ^ a b "Canary Islands Flora - Arid Habitat". Archived from the original on 2008-03-06. Retrieved 2008-03-02.
10. ^ "Símbolos de la naturaleza para las Islas Canarias" [Natural Symbols for the Canary Islands]. Ley No. 7/1991 of 30 April 1991 (in Spanish). Vol. 151\. pp. 20946–20497 - via BOE.
11. ^ Thijs de Graaf. "Euphorbia". euphorbia engels. Retrieved 2008-03-23.
12. ^ Marco, J.A., J; Sanz Cervera, J.F.; Yuste, A. (June 1997). "Ingenane and lathyrane diterpenes from the latex of Euphorbia canariensis". Phytochemistry-Oxford. 45 (3): 563–570. Bibcode:1997PChem..45..563M. doi:10.1016/S0031-9422(97)00018-6. Archived from the original on 2008-08-07. Retrieved 2008-03-23.
13. ^ a b University of Connecticut (18 March 2008). "Euphorbia canariensis L." EEB Greenhouse Accession Data. Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Greenhouses. Retrieved 2008-03-23.

## External links[edit]

* Media related to Euphorbia canariensis at Wikimedia Commons
* Decandolle, A.P. (1837). "Illustration of Euphorbia canariensis". Plantarum historia succulentarum = Histoire des plantes grasses. Retrieved 2008-03-22.

Taxon identifiers|

* Wikidata: Q1568081
* Wikispecies: Euphorbia canariensis
* APDB: 143014
* BioLib: 299367
* CoL: 3CN7V
* EoL: 1145180
* EPPO: EPHKN
* GBIF: 3066139
* GRIN: 16353
* iNaturalist: 336807
* IPNI: 345920-1
* IRMNG: 10254150
* ITIS: 1026090
* IUCN: 79727248
* NCBI: 1091617
* Observation.org: 117744
* Open Tree of Life: 402007
* Plant List: kew-78820
* POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:345920-1
* Species+: 25360
* Tropicos: 12806688
* uBio: 5758520
* WFO: wfo-0000961189

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