Skip to main content

Euphorbia globosa

Species: Euphorbia glubosa
For my first post, I have chosen to share my beautiful Euphorbia globosa. 

I am going to begin by going on a brief tangent about plant naming (because it’s cool). 

A plants scientific name has two parts: 
  1. The genus name.  The genus name describes a group of plants that share common characteristics (and usually a common ancestor).
  2. The specific name. The specific name is what identifies the individual species.
So in the case of the species Euphorbia globuse:
  • Euphorbia is the genus, which contains approx. 2,100 species, all sharing a milky sap.
  •  Globose is the specific name, which when combined with Euphorbia identifies the species.
The Euphorbia genus was named after Euphorbus, a Greek physician to king Juba II, who discovered a euphorbia plant in the Atlas Mountains that had medical properties and used it as a laxative!

‘Globose’ is derived from the Latin ‘globosus’, which means a ball, sphere or globular structure; which fits this plant perfectly in my opinion.

I picked up this charming succulent in my local garden centre, for ~£4. The label reads ‘stem succulent from South Africa.’ I like it when I know where my plants would naturally occur. I was drawn to its weird ball like structures, and its unusual appearance.

Care instructions: This species has its genus’ characteristic milky sap, but it is poisonous and a skin irritant so contact with it should be avoided. Saying that, I have not seen the sap, so this has not been a problem. It does not have spines or spikes, which makes it easy to re-pot and handle.

Like most succulents it loves full sun (but is tolerant of partial/light shade) and requires very little watering. 

My research suggests watering should be done when the soil is dry, but care is required to prevent the roots from sitting in water for a long time as this will cause root rot and kill the plant. The plant will require less watering in winter as the plant will not be growing as much and the water will take longer to be absorbed/evaporate. 

My research suggests it is pretty tolerant of cold/hot, but prefers 15-30°C. My thermostat tends to sit at 19°C, so that should be okay. 

I have mine potted in cactus potting mixture, with grit added at the bottom for added drainage.

An internet search suggests the plant may flower in spring, growing first a long stalk, followed by a pale yellow/white bloom. However, mine is showing no signs of this yet. I will update if a stalk appears.

Overall, I love this weird looking marble-cluster-like plant, and cannot wait to see what weird and wonderful shape it grows into. 

Any questions/corrections- please comment below 😁

My Euphorbia globosa on its shelf








Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Cereus validus

Cereus validus Today I am going to look at a cactus, the fabulous Cereus validus . Cereus validus is sometimes named Cereus forbesii or Cereus haneanus . Cactus naming history is full of renaming and reclassification, largely a result of botanists, horticulturalists and scientists disagreeing. I tend to choose the cactus name that I prefer or see most commonly to label my plants.   Cereus is a genus of cacti containing around 33 species. Cereus are desert cacti from South America, that tend to look like long columns. The word ‘cereus’ derives from the Latin word for ‘candle’, which is fitting, as these cacti look like long thin candles. The origin of the word ‘cereus’ is more interesting than this though, as it is derived from the Greek name Selene, a Greek moon goddess. Selene was thought to drive her moon chariot across the heavens. Cereus are sometimes called ‘nightblooming’ cacti, as they bloom after dark, which is cool, and explains the link to the moon
Post a Comment
Read more

Mammillaria elongata

Mammillaria elongata For post number 7, I have the magnificent Mammillaria elongata , commonly called the ‘Ladyfinger cactus’. This is a truly beautiful cactus, with tons of character (and spikes!). Mammillaria derives from the word nipple or teat! Carl Linnaeus named this genus in 1753 after the tubercles (round like nodules) sometimes found on these cacti. Carl was somewhat of an expert on naming things and is often called the ‘father of modern taxonomy’ (it was him who grouped humans with apes), so I begrudgingly accept his nipple naming of this un-nipple like plant. The name Mammillaria elongata  makes slightly more sense knowing that ‘elongata’ means ‘longer’ or ‘elongated’. Mammillaria elongata , will forever be called the elongated nipple to me. The Mammillaria genus contains around 200 species of cactus, varying greatly from single stems to clumps, balls to columns, with stiff to hairy spines. I picked my Mammillaria elongata  from my local garden ce
Post a Comment
Read more

Crassula muscosa

Crassula muscosa For todays post, I am looking at the succulent Crassula muscosa , also known as the ‘watch chain’, ‘zipper plant’ and ‘lizards’ tail’. Sometimes you will see Crassula muscosa named Crassula lycopodioides , which is reference to its similarity to the genus Lycopodium (the clubmosses). Crassula is a genus containing 200 species. Crassula is derived from the Latin for thick and refers to the thickening of this genus’ leaves. Muscosa is Latin for ‘mossy’. So, in combination Crassula muscosa means ‘thick moss’, which kind of fits with this plant. Crassula muscosa looks almost aquatic and reminds me of seaweed or coral. It has numerous stems with tightly packed green leaves. The leaves look like a chain, hence how it got its common name of ‘watch chain’ succulent. Crassula muscosa is found in South Africa and is found in humid areas. I picked up my Crassula muscosa in a lucky dip of succulents online. It cost around £2.50. It came unlabelled,
Post a Comment
Read more