PORTLAND SPURGE

Euphorbia portlandica

Spurge Family [Euphorbiaceae]  

month8jun month8june month8jul month8july month8aug month8sep month8sept

status
statusZnative
 
flower
flower8green
 
inner
inner8yellow
 
morph
morph8actino
 
petals
petalsZ0
 
stem
stem8round
 
stem
stem8hollow
 
stem
stem8milkysap stem8milkylatex
 
toxicity
toxicityZmedium
 
contact
contactZmedium
 
rarity
rarityZuncommon
 
sex
sexZmonoecious

3rd June 2010, North Walney, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
By showing Sea Spurge (left) and Portland Spurge (right) side by side the differences are immediately obvious: Sea spurge is taller, mostly un-branched, and has much larger and less yellow flowers in a flat-topped spread (although both can have red stems).


3rd June 2010, North Walney, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
Both stems and stem leaves have a propensity to be scarlet reddish. Moreover, the stem leaves vary in number up the stem, with a flurry about half-way up, where they are more likely to be reddish, whereas those of Sea Spurge are evenly distributed up the stem and have much less redness if any.


3rd June 2010, North Walney, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
From above it is shorter and squatter than Sea Spurge.


3rd June 2010, North Walney, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
The flowers of Portland Spurge are half the size of those of Sea Spurge and are more yellow. They also have a prominent mid-rib on the underside of the leaf (bottom, right of centre), whereas Sea Spurge lacks this.


3rd June 2010, North Walney, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
The bracts of Portland Spurge are Ace of Spades shaped with a tiny point at the ends absent in Sea Spurge. They prominent mid-rib on the underside of the bract (centre, left) is also prominent, whereas Sea Spurge lacks this.


3rd June 2010, North Walney, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
The fruits are only slightly rough in comparison to those of Sea Spurge, and the crescentic horns in the flowers are longer.


Some similarities to : Sea Spurge

Hybridizes with: Sea Spurge, the hybrid occurring in only one hactad on the coast of Mid-Wales.

Uniquely identifiable characteristics (once the two Spurges are compared visually side by side).

Portland Spurge flowers a month or two before Sea Spurge. Portland Spurge is less abundant and inhabits far fewer localities than Sea Spurge. Habitats are sand dunes and rock faces near the sea, especially on the south coasts of Wales and England.


  Euphorbia portlandica  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Euphorbiaceae  

Distribution
 family8Spurge family8Euphorbiaceae
 BSBI maps
genus8Euphorbia
Euphorbia
(Spurges)

PORTLAND SPURGE

Euphorbia portlandica

Spurge Family [Euphorbiaceae]  

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