Euphorbia caput-medusae

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Malpighiales

Familia: Euphorbiaceae
Subfamilia: Euphorbioideae
Tribus: Euphorbieae
Subtribus: Euphorbiinae
Genus: Euphorbia
Subgenus: E. subg. Athymalus
Sectio: E. sect. Anthacanthae
Subsectio: E. subsect. Medusea
Species: Euphorbia caput-medusae
Name

Euphorbia caput-medusae L., 1753
Synonyms

Heterotypic
Euphorbia fructus-pini Mill., Gard. Dict. ed. 8: n.º 10 (1768).
Euphorbia medusae Panz., Vollst. Pflanzensyst. 14: 109 (1788).
Euphorbia caput-medusae var. geminata Aiton, Hort. Kew. 2: 136 (1789).
Euphorbia caput-medusae var. major Aiton, Hort. Kew. 2: 135 (1789).
Euphorbia caput-medusae var. minor Aiton, Hort. Kew. 2: 135 (1789).
Euphorbia tuberculata Jacq., Pl. Hort. Schoenbr. 2: 43 (1797).
Dactylanthes tuberculata (Jacq.) Haw., Syn. Pl. Succ.: 133 (1812).
Medusea fructus-pini (Mill.) Haw., Syn. Pl. Succ.: 134 (1812).
Medusea major Haw., Syn. Pl. Succ.: 134 (1812).
Medusea tessellata Haw., Syn. Pl. Succ.: 135 (1812).
Euphorbia commelini DC., Cat. Pl. Horti Monsp.: 110 (1813).
Treisia tuberculata (Jacq.) Haw., Suppl. Pl. Succ.: 65 (1819).
Euphorbia tessellata (Haw.) Steud., Nomencl. Bot. 1: 328 (1821).
Euphorbia fructus-pini var. geminata (Aiton) Sweet, Hort. Brit. 2: 356 (1826), not validly publ.
Medusea tuberculata (Jacq.) Klotzsch & Garcke, Monatsber. Königl. Preuss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin 1859: 251 (1859).
Euphorbia parvimamma Boiss. in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 15(2): 86 (1862).
Euphorbia bolusii N.E.Br. in W.H.Harvey & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Cap. 5(2): 333 (1915).
Euphorbia macowanii N.E.Br. in W.H.Harvey & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Cap. 5(2): 334 (1915).
Euphorbia marlothiana N.E.Br. in W.H.Harvey & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Cap. 5(2): 331 (1915).
Euphorbia muirii N.E.Br. in W.H.Harvey & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Cap. 5(2): 331 (1915).
Euphorbia ramiglans N.E.Br. in W.H.Harvey & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Cap. 5(2): 306 (1915).
Euphorbia tuberculatoides N.E.Br. in W.H.Harvey & auct. suc. (eds.), Fl. Cap. 5(2): 332 (1915).
Euphorbia confluens Nel, Kakteenkunde 1933: 193 (1933).
Euphorbia geminata (Aiton) Marloth ex A.C.White, R.A.Dyer & B.Sloane, Succ. Euphorb.: 355 (1941), nom. illeg.
Euphorbia tuberculata var. macowanii (N.E.Br.) A.C.White, R.A.Dyer & B.Sloane, Succ. Euphorb.: 372 (1941).

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Continental: Africa
Regional: Southern Africa
Cape Provinces; Northern Provinces

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Linnaeus, C. 1753. Species plantarum, exhibentes plantas rite cognitas, ad genera relatas, cum differentiis specificis, nominibus trivialibus, synonymis selectis, locis natalibus, secundum systema sexuale digestas. Tomus I. Pp. [I–XII], 1–560. Impensis Laurentii Salvii, Holmiae [Stockholm]. BHL Reference page. : 452.

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Euphorbia caput-medusae in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2020 Jun 23. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2020. Euphorbia caput-medusae. Published online. Accessed: Jun 23 2020.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2020. Euphorbia caput-medusae in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2020 Jun 23. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2020. Euphorbia caput-medusae. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 23 Jun 2020.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Euphorbia caput-medusae in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 08-Apr-12.

Vernacular names

Euphorbia caput-medusae ("Medusa's Head") is a plant of the genus Euphorbia that occurs in and around Cape Town, South Africa.

Description

This succulent resembles the head of Medusa, with many serpent-like stems arising from a short, central caudex. They sometimes exceed 1 metre in diameter, partly buried in the ground, covered with numerous crowded branches.[1]

Euphorbia caput-medusae was introduced to the Netherlands around 1700 and was one of the early plants described by Linnaeus (Species Plantarum, 1753).[2]
Distribution

This species is primarily coastal, occurring along the western coast of South Africa, southwards to the Cape Peninsula. It is still common around Cape Town where it grows in deep sand or rocky outcrops on the coast. It is particularly common in the Peninsula Shale Renosterveld vegetation of Signal Hill.

It also occurs along the south coast of the Western Cape Province, from Cape Town the form previously known as "muirii" extends along the coast eastwards as far as Mossel Bay.[3]
References

"Euphorbia | PlantZAfrica.com".
"Euphorbia caput-medusae (Medusa's head)". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Archived from the original on 18 May 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
Goldblatt, P. & Manning, J. (2000) Cape Plants. A Conspectus of the Cape Flora of South Africa. SANBI, Cape Town & Missouri Botanical Garden, St Louis.