Euphorbia canariensis explained

Euphorbia canariensis, commonly known as the Canary Island spurge, Hercules club^[1] or in Spanish cardón,^[2] is a succulent member of the genus Euphorbia and family Euphorbiaceae endemic to the Canary Islands.^[3] It is the plant symbol of the island of Gran Canaria.^[4]

Description

The Canary Island spurge is a succulent shrub, growing to between 3and high. It is made up of fleshy quadrangular or pentagonal trunks that look like cacti. It has no leaves, instead bearing spines 5mm14mm long. It produces reddish-green flowers.^[3] It is hardy to -2sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2.^[5]

The latex, which contains diterpenes^[6] is poisonous.^[7]

Distribution

The species is found on the narrow coastal belt, from sea level to 1100m (3,600feet) in the Canary Islands.^[7]

See also

• List of animal and plant symbols of the Canary Islands

External links

• • Book: Decandolle , A.P. . A. P. de Candolle . Plantarum historia succulentarum = Histoire des plantes grasses . http://www.illustratedgarden.org/mobot/rarebooks/page.asp?relation=SB438C361799V3&identifier=0201 . 1837 . 2008-03-22 . Illustration of Euphorbia canariensis.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Photographs of succulents Euphorbia canariensis 4744 . 2008-03-23 . Barbara J. Collins, Ph.D. . California Lutheran University . 2007-08-09 . Photographs of succulents . California Lutheran University.
2. Book: Bramwell . David . Bramwell . Zoë . 2001 . Wild Flowers of the Canary Islands . 2nd . Madrid . Rueda . 978-84-7207-129-2 . amp . 206.
3. Web site: Canary Islands Flora - Arid Habitat . 2008-03-02 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080306042504/http://www.canaryislandflora.com/arid.htm . 2008-03-06.
4. Ley . 7/1991 . 30 April 1991 . Símbolos de la naturaleza para las Islas Canarias . Natural Symbols for the Canary Islands . es . . 151 . 20946–20497.
5. Web site: Euphorbia . 2008-03-23 . Thijs de Graaf . euphorbia engels.
6. Marco, J.A. . Sanz Cervera, J.F. . Yuste, A. . Ingenane and lathyrane diterpenes from the latex of Euphorbia canariensis. . Phytochemistry-Oxford . 45 . 3 . 563–570 . 2008-03-23 . June 1997 . 10.1016/S0031-9422(97)00018-6 . J . 1997PChem..45..563M . https://web.archive.org/web/20080807031224/http://grande.nal.usda.gov/ibids/index.php?mode2=detail . 2008-08-07 . dead .
7. Web site: Euphorbia canariensis L. . 2008-03-23 . University of Connecticut . 18 March 2008 . EEB Greenhouse Accession Data . Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Greenhouses.