Flowers of the Euphorbia Plant

Many euphorbia flowers are characterized by small flowers and larger, petal-like bracts.

The genus Euphorbia is large, with about 2,000 species native to many parts of the world. Flowers vary from species to species, but the true flowers are very small. Petal-like bracts often surround the flowers, giving the appearance of larger blooms.

Types

Crown of thorns is characterized by its brightly colored bracts.

The "flowers" of Euphorbia millii, the popular "crown of thorns" plant, are typical of euphorbia. Several insignificant male flowers and a female flower are surrounded by two bright yellow, pink or red oval-shaped bracts.

Clustering Types

In some euphorbia, like the garden perennial, Euphorbia polychroma or cushion spurge, the typical flower/bract configuration appears in mound-shaped clusters. These clusters are yellow-green in the summer and turn red in the fall.

Showy Bracts

Poinsettia hybrids have some of the showiest bracts in the euphorbia family.

The common poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) has the same tiny true flowers as other euphorbias, but it also has the characteristic elongated red bracts. In hybrid varieties, the bracts may be pink, white or even bi-colored in addition to red.

References

• "Hortus Third"; Liberty Hyde Bailey, Zoe Esther Bailey, et al.; 1976
• "the Botanical Garden, V II"; Roger Phillips and Martyn Rix; 2002