Canary Spurge

Canary Spurge
	Canary Spurge, Gomera
Systematics
	Rosids
	Eurosiden I
Order :	Malpighiales (Malpighiales)
Family :	Spurge Family (Euphorbiaceae)
Genre :	Spurge ( Euphorbia )
Type :	Canary Spurge
Scientific name
	Euphorbia canariensis
	L.

blossoms

Succulent bush on La Palma

The Canary Island Spurge ( Euphorbia canariensis ) (span. "Cardón") is a plant type from the genus spurge ( Euphorbia ) in the family of Euphorbiaceae (Euphorbiaceae). It is endemic to the Canary Islands and a characteristic element of the succulent bush zone of the Canaries. It is the natural symbol of Gran Canaria .

features

Canary Spurge is a stem-succulent plant that reaches a height of 3 m. It is heavily branched at the base (up to over 100 shoots) and can reach a diameter of several meters. The individual shoots are bent upwards like a candelabra. Branches above the base are rare. The individual shoots have a diameter of 8 to 15 cm in cross section. They are square to hexagonal. On the ribs, 4 to 5 mm long, slightly curved, brownish thorns sit in pairs on top of each other. Greenish- red cyathia sit on the ends of the shoots : three in a row, two female and one middle male cyathium. They have a diameter of approx. 8 mm. The adrenal glands are elliptical and dark red. After fertilization, two rows of red-brown to deep red seed capsules (diameter: 5 to 6 mm) are formed. The seeds are approximately spherical with a smooth surface.

Locations and distribution

As the name suggests, Canary Spurge is endemic to the Canary Islands. It is represented on all the islands, but has already become rare on Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. It is one of the character types of the succulent bush zone and occurs from about 50 m to about 1100 m above sea level. In this zone it often forms larger populations, which are called "cardonales" in Spanish. In the protection of larger specimens of the Canary Island Spurge, other plants often grow, which are thus protected from goat damage.

ingredients

The milky sap of the Canary Islands milkweed contains diterpenes and is highly toxic.

Individual evidence

↑ Ley 7/1991, de 30 de April, de símbolos de la naturaleza para las Islas Canarias
↑ Marco, JA, JF Sanz Cervera, A. Yuste: Ingenane and lathyrane diterpenes from the latex of Euphorbia canariensis. In: Phytochemistry , 45 (3): 563-570, Elsevier 1997. doi : 10.1016 / S0031-9422 (97) 00018-6 .

literature

David Bramwell and Zoe I. Bramwell: Flores Silvestres de las Islas Canarias. 376 pp., Edicion Rueda, Madrid. 1994 ISBN 84-7207-062-X
Peter Schönfelder and Ingrid Schönfelder: The cosmos of the Canary Islands flora. 2nd edition, 319 pages, Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co KG Stuttgart ISBN 978-3-440-10750-8
Urs Eggli (ed.): Succulent lexicon. Volume 2 Dicotyledonous plants (dicotyledons) excluding Aizoaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Cactaceae and Crassulaceae. 579 pp., Eugen Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart. ISBN 3-8001-3915-4

Web links

Commons : Canary Spurge ( Euphorbia canariensis ) - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

Botanical Garden of the Ruhr University Bochum ( Memento from December 1, 2005 in the Internet Archive )
Succulent euphorbias

[1] Ley 7/1991, de 30 de April, de símbolos de la naturaleza para las Islas Canarias

[2] Marco, JA, JF Sanz Cervera, A. Yuste: Ingenane and lathyrane diterpenes from the latex of Euphorbia canariensis. In: Phytochemistry , 45 (3): 563-570, Elsevier 1997. doi : 10.1016 / S0031-9422 (97) 00018-6 .