Euphorbia amygdaloides
Common names
wood spurge
Biostatus
Exotic
Conservation status
Not applicable
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
Yellow
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Year naturalised
1992
Origin
C., S. and N.W. Europe, extending to Ukraine, Asia Minor, and N. Iran.
Other information
Etymology
euphorbia: After Euphorbus, a Greek physician who served King Juba of Numidia in 12BC. Juba named a cactus to honour Euphorbus and later Linnaeus named the entire genus after the physician.
amygdaloides: Meaning ‘resembling the genus Amygdalus’. The derivation of Amygdalus is uncertain, it could be from the Greek amygdalus ‘almond’ or from amysso ‘to lacerate’ in reference to the fissures in the seed. Some believe the name to be derived from the Hebrew word for vigilant, referring to the almonds early blooming.