Euphorbia, or euphorbia, belongs to the vast family of Euphorbia. These are amazing plants. Euphorbia is widespread throughout the world. According to various sources, its species number from 800 to 1600 different plants. These are perennial and annual grasses, trees and shrubs. A fifth of this diversity is found only in South and Central Africa.
Euphorbia plant grows in the middle zone of Russia. It can be seen on roadsides, fields, river banks. Many of our readers are familiar with euphorbia (species that grow in the regions of Russia). And lovers of indoor plants probably know its decorative varieties.
Properties and Application
You need to know that all members of this family contain milky juice, which is very toxic. The substances contained in it can cause serious burns, severe inflammation of the mucous membranes. Once in the stomach, it can cause a violation of the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, you should handle it very carefully and wear gloves when working with it.
The poisonous properties of African milkweed were often used by hunters who made deadly arrowheads. In addition, the plant euphorbia is used in folk medicine. It is used for certain diseases of the kidneys, as an anesthetic, laxative, and anthelmintic. It is used as an antacid for bites of rabid animals.
Many of our readers may have heard that euphorbia is also used in perfumes for the manufacture of whitening creams. Species of some plants of this family were used to produce rubber. There are varieties of milkweed that people eat and use as feed for livestock.
Euphorbia: types
We cannot even very briefly describe all types of this plant. Nevertheless, we will try to tell you at least some of them.
Euphorbia - "cactus"
In our usual understanding, this plant can hardly be called a cactus. In fact, it belongs to the genus Euphorbia. It really resembles a cactus in its shape, but differs in that it has inflorescences and flowers. In the tissues is white milky juice, poisonous to humans. "Cactus" euphorbia refers to a genus that is distinguished by a huge variety of species.
This plant has large trihedral, fleshy stems. A straight trunk with proper care reaches a height of 2-3 meters. Shoots are evenly spaced around the perimeter of the stem. On its faces are brown-red spines and dense oval leaves about 5 cm long.
There are species with shoots articulated between themselves and covered with yellow dots. These include the following:
- Abyssinian;
- trihedral;
- triangular;
- Canarian.
Growing
Cactus-euphorbia should be grown at a temperature of +18 ... +20 degrees. There are species that tolerate lower temperatures (+4 - +5). In this case, it is necessary to provide the plant with a sufficient amount of light and artificially raise the temperature of the soil. The flower can be placed next to the heater.
"Cactus" Euphorbia cannot grow without light. It tolerates direct sunlight, dry air, does not suffer from a lack of watering. In winter, it is generally stopped being watered and moistening of the soil is resumed from spring to autumn.
The stem and twigs should not be moistened, as decay may begin. Due to the fact that the plant is covered with thorns, we recommend brushing off the dust from it.
Fringed euphorbia
This is an annual herbaceous plant with erect, densely leafy stems. Their height reaches 70 cm. The leaves are light green, oval in shape. White broad border, which gave the name to the plant, appears during flowering on the upper leaves.
Euphorbia fringed with large white bracts during this period looks very impressive. The bush of this plant during the flowering period resembles a large snow globe. Perhaps that is why other names began to be given to him: “mountain snow”, “bride”, “early snow”. Flowering plants occur from mid-June to the very frosts.
Euphorbia edged loves the sun. In the shade, he languishes and even dies. The soil prefers loose, fertile, slightly acidified. This bush is responsive to regular top dressing with manure, mineral fertilizers. It does not tolerate waterlogging.
It can be propagated by cuttings and seeds. Cut the cuttings must be kept in warm water for 2-3 hours. This will help stop the secretion of juice, which will not allow the plant to take root. Then, for about a week, the cuttings “wither” in air at a temperature of +22 degrees. After that, they can be planted in sandy peat soil.
Euphorbia Pallas
Another herbaceous representative of the family Euphorbiaceae. It has two names - Euphorbia Pallas and Fisher. It features a well-developed and very powerful root system.
The stems of this milkweed reach 25 cm in height, most often they are pubescent. The leaves are dense, green, with a brown tint. Their shape depends on where they are located on the stem. Flowers form an umbrella-shaped inflorescences. Pallas milkweed root is sinuous, thick, juicy. Flowering plants occurs in May.
This is an endemic plant that is found only in China, Mongolia and Transbaikalia. Most often, it can be seen on the steppe slopes, gravelly and rocky soils.
Experts believe that the Pallas euphorbia is the famous medieval mandrake. In the reference book of Tibetan medicine, which has been used since the time of Genghis Khan, mentions of this plant as a laxative and anthelmintic are found. Since ancient times, healers of Siberia have been treating them with male diseases, tuberculosis, and tumors. It was believed that its root has the ability to give vitality and prolong youth.
Healing properties
At present, Pallas euphorbia is not used in traditional medicine, but scientific research aimed at studying its properties and composition does not stop. For example, it has already been established that preparations containing juice from the root of the plant normalize the hormonal balance in the body of a man due to the content of phytoandrogens in it. In addition, the anticoagulant activity of this milkweed is noted, which gives confidence that it will soon be used in the treatment of patients in whom hemocoagulation is impaired.
Medicines based on this plant have a detrimental effect on the fungal flora, inhibit the growth of tumor cells. This is due to the presence of special lactones in the roots, which are able to combat tumor activity.
Folk healers use Pallas milkweed root preparations in the treatment of leukemia. Chinese healers cure tuberculosis of the skeletal and lymphatic systems. In Tibet, a decoction of the roots, which is prepared according to a special recipe, successfully treats anthrax. Many herbalists advise taking Pallas euphorbia with uterine fibroids and mastopathy. However, do not self-medicate, consult your doctor.
Contraindications
The use of this plant is undesirable for individual intolerance. Since it is toxic, with an overdose, loose stools with an admixture of blood, vomiting, heart rhythm disturbances are possible.
Garden Euphorbia
This is a grassy annual belonging to the Euphorbia family. Euphorbia garden grows up to 25 cm. The stems are thick and fleshy, creeping. Quite often have swollen nodes. Leaves up to 3 cm long, having an oblong shape. The glass is bell-shaped, about 1.5 cm. Inside it is short-haired, 4 nectaries from above are concave, narrow. Calyx perianth weakly visible. This euphorbia blooms in June-September.
The plant is common in Ukraine, in the central part of Russia, in the Upper Volga, Volga-Don, and Black Sea regions. It is a little less common in Belarus, in the Caucasus. It grows like a weed on cultivated soil: in gardens, fields and vegetable gardens.
For medicinal purposes, grass, juice and plant roots are used. It has an emetic, laxative and keratoplastic effect.
Milk juice is used for external purposes - to remove corns, warts, age spots. Medicinal preparations containing plant juice are recommended for bronchial asthma, cancer of the liver, stomach and uterus. The plant is an effective insecticide against insects.
Small Euphorbia
A plant from the family Euphorbiaceae, growing up to 80 cm in height, bare or slightly pubescent. Small-fruited euphorbia has a creeping, cord-like root. Single or small stems erect. Above have about 11 axillary peduncles up to 8 cm long, sometimes they are not. Non-flowering branches are absent.
Stem leaves are petiolate, almost sessile, 35 mm long, 9 mm wide. They can be wedge-shaped at the base, linear-scapular, elliptically linear, linear-threadlike.
From 4 to 12 peduncles - simple or bifid. The goblet is bell-shaped, with a diameter of about 2 mm. Outside, it is naked, has rounded or fringed lobes. It blooms in late May - early July.
Reed trehreshnik - the fruit of this plant. It has a length of 3 mm, a width of 4 mm. The fruit is smooth, rounded, only wrinkled-tuberous lobes are located along the back.
The seeds are small - 1.5-2 mm, ovoid, smooth, brownish or gray-brown. Caruncle sessile, flattened. It blooms in early June.
Leafless euphorbia
Highly branched and low shrub with 2-3 segments. They are curved arcuate, light green in color. Each segment has a length of up to 8 cm, a thickness of 6 mm. This beautiful plant is used for both gardening and home growing. In Europe, it is often bred as indoor succulent.
Northern Euphorbia
Shrub plant with a vertical main root, thin, woody. Northern euphorbia - shrub up to 40 cm high. Has orthotropic generative shoots. They can be simple, single or with short side shoots. The stems in thickness do not exceed 1.5 mm, at the base are smooth, cylindrical, pinkish in color.
Grassroots are scaly, small, brown in color. The middle leaves are no more than 4 cm long and 8 mm wide.
Umbrella inflorescence has from 4 to 8 simple, sometimes bifid apical umbrellas. 4 or 5 nectaries are brown, two-horned. Columns are thin - only 1.5 mm. Truncated spherical boxes about 3 mm long. Their diameter is 3 mm.
Globular
Euphorbia flower, a photo of which can be seen in almost any publication for gardeners, is a decorative culture in our country. Most often it is grown in a standard form and is used for landscaping. A houseplant euphorbia unpretentious in care and undemanding to external conditions. It can be grown even with a minimum level of illumination.
Euphorbia spherical - a dwarf plant with a height of not more than 8 cm, which does not have thorns. The branches that go from the base make up bizarre spherical segments that form pillows up to 30 cm in diameter. The branches can be cylindrical or spherical, their length is approximately 2.5 cm.
Mountain euphorbia
Very effective decorative foliage plant, which is often used in rock gardens and in compositions with stones. Mountain euphorbia has semi-spreading shoots. Leaves are rhombic, painted in a bluish-gray tint. During wintering, they densely cover the stems. It blooms in mid-May - early June, but flowers are not its main decorative quality.
Agricultural technology
This type of milkweed loves the sun, but if necessary it can grow in partial shade. The soil is more suitable light and nutritious.
Seeds should be sown in March in boxes and lightly sprinkled with earth. Seedlings are planted in the soil when a positive temperature is established.
The distance between the seedlings should be at least 30 cm. In order for the plant to bloom continuously and abundantly, it must be regularly watered, weeded, loosened and fed with mineral fertilizers.
Almond-shaped spurge
This variety is popular with gardeners and lovers of indoor plants. It has unusual flowers with a bright green color. They gather in beautiful inflorescences, which sway very gracefully at the slightest breath of wind. They are located on tall (up to 60 cm) stems. The plant begins to bloom in April and ends in June. Almond-shaped euphorbia is suitable for garden cultivation on a site in the southern regions of Russia, as it does not like severe frosts.
Euphorbia akalifa
This plant is also called foxtail. This is an evergreen, highly branched shrub, not very tall. Euphorbia akalifa is a beautiful ornamental plant. Its leaves are small, egg-shaped, with small denticles.
His gardeners fell in love for unusually bright red flowers that gather in spiky inflorescences that are not typical for euphorbia. Akalifa begins to bloom in March and pleases the eye until late autumn.
With proper care, about 30 inflorescences bloom at the same time. At this time, it needs watering and top dressing. Loves a lot of light. Best propagated by cuttings.
Euphorbia bupleurumifolia
This is a very rare species from a large family. A sparse shrub that grows to a height of 20 cm. On the stem, you can see small tubercles located in a spiral. Leaves appear at the top of the plant. Euphorbia flowers are located on a long peduncle and on the top of the bush in the form of a bunch. In winter, this species does not need to be watered. Propagated only by seeds.
Canary Euphorbia
This is a real tree, which reaches 12 meters in height. It has 4-5-rib branches with a diameter of up to 5 cm. On the ribs there are small tubercles and double brown spines about 0.5 cm long. In their infancy, the leaves are rudimentary. This beautiful plant feels great indoors.
"The head of the jellyfish"
A striking succulent, having a short stalk thickened upward and numerous branches diverging in different directions. This milkweed variety is very popular among gardeners because of its unusual, eye-catching appearance. If the plant is suspended in a basket, then its "tentacle" branches will stretch in different directions.
This euphorbia is undemanding to lighting, it feels quite comfortable both in partial shade and in bright light. In winter, it should be watered very rarely. If you do not follow this rule, the euphorbia will rot. In addition, it is extremely negative about drafts.
Euphorbia cereus
Shrub succulent, having a height of up to one meter. The branches are erect, with fifteen ribs up to 5 cm wide, painted dark green.
On narrow ribs there are small tubercles. And along the edges of the ribs, serrated notches are visible. Spines of gray color, single. Their length is about 2 cm. The leaves are very small, no more than 3 mm. They dry out quite quickly, but in some cases remain on the branches for several years.
Euphorbia cereus is very reminiscent of a cactus cereus, which is why it got this name. He loves light, however, it should be protected from direct sunlight. Otherwise, euphorbia may get burned.
Euphorbia enopalus
Highly branching shrub. Under natural conditions, grows up to one meter in height. Stems erect, with five or nine ribs. This euphorbia is especially known for its huge thorns, which grow up to 5 cm. At first they are reddish, later painted in gray. It can grow in ambient light or partial shade. In the summer it needs watering and top dressing. He needs loose soil and drainage. Propagated by cuttings.
Euphorbia
This is a large plant. Large-euphorbia in nature grows up to two meters. The branches of this shrub are three-ribbed, divided into separate segments. They are wavy, pterygoid, with a gray horn edge.
At home, it can grow to the ceiling. He needs bright light and regular, but moderate watering. Propagated by cuttings, but when breeding in room conditions, it rarely blooms.
Large-winged euphorbia
A view very close to large-milk milkweed. The differences are only in the tetrahedral stem with bright green stains and smaller spines.
Milkweed Breeding
Euphorbia plant, the photo of which you can see in our article, is not picky about leaving. Nevertheless, certain rules must be known. Quite often, readers ask the question: “How does euphorbia breed?” We will try to answer it.
There are several ways to propagate this plant. The most commonly used are:
- cuttings;
- leaf cuttings;
- using seeds;
- dividing the bush.
Growing milk from seeds
If you want, you can sow the seeds directly into the ground in spring or at the very beginning of summer. Many gardeners prefer to propagate euphorbia in this way. Growing from seeds makes it possible to plant seedlings in March.
Seeds must be soaked in warm water for about two hours. Remember that the roots of milkweed are very fragile, they can not be damaged. Therefore, it is better to sow the seeds one at a time in peat pots or plastic glasses.
About a week after sowing, the seeds are in cups (air temperature should not be below +10 degrees). Then the glasses should be rearranged in a warmer place (+20 degrees). Milkweed seeds germinate quite a long time - from 3 weeks to 2 months.
Do not forget to make a hole in the bottom of the glass so that excess moisture flows into it. It is advisable to put a small layer of agroperlite on the bottom of the dishes - about 1 cm. Then the container is filled with a soil mixture, which consists of sheet soil, sand and clay-turf soil. The proportions of 2: 2: 3 must be observed. Seeds do not dig too deep into the soil.
Before planting, the ground must be moistened. Glasses with sown seeds should be put in a pan where water should be poured so that the soil does not dry out. It should not be wet, but wet.
Saplings should be accustomed to street conditions (of course, if you grow a plant for a summer cottage). To do this, they must be taken out 10 days before landing.
Watering
Euphorbia needs moderate watering - once a week. For this purpose, settled or filtered water should be used. Make sure that the topsoil does not dry out. Do not water the plant when the ground is still wet. Too much soil can cause flowers and leaves to fall. And excessive watering can cause root decay. In spring and autumn, the plant should be watered no more than once every two weeks. In winter, watering is reduced to once a month. Spraying euphorbia is not worth it.