Nomenclature

Species name:

Euphorbia terracina   L.

Author(s):

Carl von Linné
   Sweden, 1707-1778

General names:

Coastal Spurge
False Caper
Geraldton Carnation Weed

Maltese name:

Tenghud tax-Xtut

Plant Family:

Euphorbiaceae   (Spurge Family)

Name Derivation:

Euphorbia = Named for Euphorbus, a Greek physician to Juba II, King of Mauretania. Euphorbus derives from eu, "good," and phorbe, "pasture or fodder," thus giving euphorbos the meaning "well fed." (Greek);

terracina = Uncertain meaning, but possibly having something to do with terraces (?), or a reference to Terracina, a seaside resort area between Rome and Naples, which perhaps makes more sense since this species is originally from the Mediterranean (Latin).

Synonyms:

No Synonyms

Plant Description

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Habitat:

Confined to Sand Dunes

Sources in Malta:

Decreasing rapidly and found in small numbers in Ramla tat-Torri and Ghadira in Malta and Ramla l-Hamra in Gozo.

Plant Height:

May reach up to 70cm in height but is usually much smaller in size

Flowering Time:

Apr - Aug

The Coastal Spurge is a plant typical of sand dunes. Unfortunately like most of the sand dune species, it is on the decline in our islands being now confined to few beaches. This is a hairless perennial with stems that may reach up to 70cm in height but usually grows to a much smaller size, sometimes crawling on the sand. Stems may be greenish or reddish in colour, and are hairless. They may be simple of branched.

The leaves are placed in an alternate position on the stem. The leaves may reach up to 5cm in length and 1cm in width that are linear to oblong in shape and usually have very tiny teeth (serrulate) along the leaf edge. They easily release a white milky substance when cut typical of Euphorbial species. The leaves underneath the inflorescence (the Ray leaves) are usually slightly larger and are grouped together and end at a sharp point (acute end).

This plant is monoecious (both male and female flowers are on the same plant). The flowers lack petals and are borne in umbel clusters (inflorescence of many flowers on different pedicels that originate from the same point). These umbel clusters are called Rays. Below these Rays are the Ray leaves, and these Rays end forming the Cyathium. There are usually up to 6 Rays in this species, and the Rays may sometimes also divide further up. Along the Rays (especially when the Rays branch) lie the Raylet leaves which are deltate (triangular) to rhombic (diamond) in shape, with a blunt edge and a heart-shaped base.

The Cyathium consists of 2 bracts that have a similar shape to the Raylet leaves but are much broader in shape. Over them lie the male and female flowers. The male flowers are tiny and consist of a single stamen and lie over the gland which has 2 long slender horns and is greenish to orange in colour. The female flower is much larger and is a round structure with 3 styles.

The capsule is up to 5mm by 5mm in size and is deeply notched in shape. The seeds are up to 2mm in size and are oval in shape and pale grey in colour.

This species might be confused with Euphorbia pinea but this is a much stockier plant, with branches that are dense with many leaves, and glands have thicker horns. The fact that it grows exclusively in sand dunes differentiates it from most other Euphorbial species in our islands.

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