User:Infobox-feed

GENUS EUPHORBIA Milkweed, Spurge The genus is a very large one with close to 2,000 species, among them annuals, herbaceous perennials, shrubs and numerous succulent species that at first sight look remarkably like cacti. This variety of forms has suggested to many botanists that the genus should be divided; but the flowers of all species are almost identical in structure. They are very much reduced, consisting of only a stigma and a stamen, always green, and usually carried in small clusters. Many species have showy bracts, these are the most widely cultivated; examples include Euphorbia cognate and E.”Excalibur”. Mainly tropical and subtropical, the genus also includes many temperate species. All euphorbias have milky sap which is corrosive to sensitive areas of the skin; some can cause temporary blindness if sap contacts the eyes. CULTIVATION: Plant species of Euphorbia in sun or part-shade in moist, well-drained soil. Cold tolerance varies greatly depending on the species; the more highly succulent species are generally frost tender. Propagate from cuttings in spring or summer, allowing succulent species to dry and callus before placing in barely damp sand, by division in early spring or fall (autumn) or from seed on fall or spring. REFERENCE: Botanica – The illustrated A-Z of over 10,000 garden plants and how to cultivate them, by Könemann