Euphorbia pseudosikkimensis - Long-Leaf Spurge

Long-Leaf Spurge is a perennial herb, 20-60 cm tall. It is named in honor of botanist Scottish David Don (1799-1841). Rootstock woody, with many old stem bases, 20-30 cm × to 10 mm thick; roots fleshy, to 5 mm thick when dried. Stem single or several clustered, 2-5 mm thick, branched apically, hairless. Leaves are alternate, larger toward tip; stipules absent; lowermost leaves scalelike; leaf-stalk absent; leaf blade long elliptic to inverted-lanceshaped, 4-7 × 0.7-1.1 cm, slightly paler below, hairless, base wedge-shaped or slightly rounded, margin entire, tip blunt to subpointed, mucronulate; midrib prominent below, sunken above, lateral veins 12 or more pairs, branching before margin. Inflorescence a at branch-ends pseudumbel, sometimes with additional cymes from upper axils; primary involucral leaves usually 5, ovate-elliptic, 2.5-6 cm × 6-10 mm, base wedge-shaped to ± rounded, tip blunt to pointed, primary rays 5, 3-4 cm; secondary involucral leaves usually 3, ovate-rounded, 1-2 × 0.5-0.8 cm; cyathophylls 2, ovate- rounded, 6-9 × 6-8 mm, base wedge-shaped, tip rounded. Cyathium stipe 1-3 mm; involucre bell-shaped, about 3 × 2.5 mm, exterior hairless, interior white pilose, lobes square, entire; glands 4, pale brown, rounded to transversely elliptic, entire. Bracteoles linear, densely pilose. Male flowers many, protruding from involucre. Female flower: ovary flower-stalk up to 4 mm and protruding from cup; ovary smooth, hairless; styles fused to near middle; style arms shallowly 2-lobed, inconspicuous. Capsule ovoid-spherical, 4-5 × 4-5 mm, smooth, hairless. Seeds ovoid-spherical, about 3 × 2 mm, dark brown, above striped; caruncle peltate, yellow, stalkless. Flowering: June-August.