Hooghly2015Mar01sk01 : Euphorbia what ?

[surajit koley]

This is often planted on roadside SHIV-MANDIR or some other diety. I couldn't find spine on the stem and branches, probably due to age. I didn't have scale or ruler with me. But leaves are, I think, more than 8 cm.

Photographs were taken on 28.02.2015.

Thank you

Regards

surajit

[surajit koley]

Leaves are about 15 cm in length. All visible branches near the periphery bear no spine.

Thank you

Regards

surajit

[Ushadi Micromini]

I cant think of anything other than my be euphorbia antiquorum?

dont know if it can grow in the ganges delta though

usha di

On Sun, Mar 1, 2015 at 10:37 PM, surajit koley <surajitno...@gmail.com> wrote:

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Usha di
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[Tapas Chakrabarty]

Kindly forward this message to Dr. N. P. Balakrishnan for expert opinion: npba...@gmail.com

[surajit koley]

Didi,

It can't be E. antiquorum because 1) stem is not 3 angled, 2) number of cyathium as explained by Balakrishnan Sir in another thread. It's overall look, I think, rather similar to E nivulia. But then again number of cyathium per peduncle and prickle are problems I think.

Thank you

Regards

surajit

On Tue, Mar 3, 2015 at 2:08 PM, Ushadi Micromini <micromi...@gmail.com> wrote:

[surajit koley]

Thank you very much Sir, I am forwarding it to Balakrishnan Sir.

Regards

surajit

[surajit koley]

Sir,

This is a crooked shrubby plant found on roadside. The appearance is like that of a crooked E. nivulia. But, I couldn't find any spine on its trunk and branches. I have examined several branches. The leaves of this plant is about 15 cm long.

Upon receiving Tapas Sir's advice I pray to you for your opinion regarding this species.

Thank you

Regards

surajit koley

[Ushadi Micromini]

e nivuluia is supposed to have five ridges, isn't it?

your stems here are round

ushadi

so theres the rub

lets see what experts say

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Usha di
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[surajit koley]

Didi,

We have the KEY to Euphorbia in our database - https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/species/a---l/e/euphorbiaceae/euphorbia. According to that KEY, please see key-13a, E nivulia would have rounded stem.

Thank you

Regards

surajit

[Nambiyath Balakrishnan]

Dear Surajit

I have examined the details as can be seen in the photos. It appears to be near to E. nivulia but there are differences.

Your plant does not show any indication of spines, not even remnants of fallen spine clusters.

Further the cyathia are all solitary, whereas in E. nivulia, they are mostly in diads or triads.

Therefore, I am unable to identify this species. Probably it is an introduced species.

N. P. Balakrishnan

5 March 2015

[surajit koley]

Sir,

I also noted the two differences, of spines and number of cyathia, nowhere I could find that cyathium can be single in E. nivulia. I will keep a watch on this particular plant and upload photographs of fruits when I find one. Also will note if any inflorescence develops triad cyathia.

Thank you very much Sir. I am also grateful to Tapas Sir.

With regards

surajit

[Gurcharan Singh]

The cyathia very much resemble E. nivulia, both in colour, peduncle length, glands, etc. Even cyathia are in pairs as we can see scar of fallen one, we can even see vestiges of two cyathia on the top of peduncle on either side of central cyathium. Even leaves resemble. The only feature not seen is the spines, which can't be ignored in this genus.

Dr. Gurcharan Singh

Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089

http://www.gurcharanfamily.com/ 
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/

On Thu, Mar 5, 2015 at 12:06 PM, Nambiyath Balakrishnan <npba...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Ushadi Micromini]

do you think we may have another Burbank in our own West Bengal temple yards?

so that the trees dont need their thorns?

usha di

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Usha di
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[surajit koley]

Thank you Gurcharan Sir, thank you Didi.

What is Burbank?

I will follow the development of this plant. Meanwhile more photos, recorded on last Monday.

Regards

surajit

[Ushadi Micromini]

Well , Nobody seems to have caught that...
you are the only one who asked...Surajit

Burbank is a city in california named after Luther Burbank... a humanist, horticulturist,  Botanist and my hero.. ever since I read about him in one of the numerous american magazines my dad used to get..I was may  in grammar school..or younger... i was very impressed with the.. spinless cactus  its a   part of a small write up at this url... they have been writing about him since about 1901... wiki has a page ...   and more intense and human interest and science related write up is in this book Rupa publications book . called THE SECRET LIFE OF PLANTS...  reading this book sparks interest in many things including Botany plants and their living systems /processes ...

he was spiritual and used to tell his spiny nasty plants that they did not need the thorns, he was not going to hurt them and he would protect them... several generations later the thornless plants were emerging..

( I dont want to argue with any self-styled  the hard nosed non-believers about this, so nobody should bother attacking me) ... (its a fact or a myth, if you read  mythology like ramayana and mahabharata, bible, old testament stories etc  and believe them then where 's the problem with Burbank???))

Surajit... his spineless plants reverted back after his death!!!

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SO my comment was tongue in cheek reference that::   ?? are the temple folks in India generating spineless euphorbia ??? in their yards like  so many Modern day Burbanks....

be well

usha di

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Usha di
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[surajit koley]

Didi,

I googled and found that Burbank is US city. Rest of the story is wonderful, I love it, be it fact or fiction.

Thank you very much.

Regards

surajit

[surajit koley]

Sir,

I apologize. This shrub or crooked tree has spines. But, I confirm only 10% branches or less bear spines. I have checked all accessible branches today. A few bear spine at the green apical region, spines in the same branches are missing at lower part. Spines are about 5 mm. Attached here a new set, recorded today.

Thank you very much for bearing with me.

Regards

surajit

[Nambiyath Balakrishnan]

Dear Surajit,
The new  photos clearly show minute spines. Also the cyathia show two buds on either side indicating that they are in triads.

Therefore you can confirm that the species is E. niuvlia.

N. P. Balakrishnan

7 March 2015

[surajit koley]

Sir,

I am grateful to all of you. This is a wonderful learning session. I have never before realized that number of cyathium is the most important KEY in this genus.

I thank you very much. I thank Tapas Sir, Gurcharan Sir and Usha Di and all. I wish to believe Burbank is not all fiction, at least in aged tree.

Respectfully yours

surajit

[Ushadi Micromini]

Surajit

you are consistently persistent

I like that a lot

so now we have the definitive diagnostic feature

well I like the conclusion  Dr Balakrishnan.

usha di 

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Usha di
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[surajit koley]

Good morning

Thank you very much Didi

Regards

surajit

[surajit koley]

Sir,

This is the current state of the tree, photographed today. The tree is yet to develop any fruit.

[Nambiyath Balakrishnan]

Dear all,

These pictures further confirm that the plant is Euphorbia nivulia.

N.P. Balakrishnan

19 March 2015

[surajit koley]

Thank you very much Sir.

Regards

surajit

[Ushadi Micromini]

Dr Balakrishnan

Thank you

this case was educational

usha di

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Usha di
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[Ushadi Micromini]

Thanks for your persistence , Surajit

i learned something

usha di

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Usha di
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[surajit koley]

Thank you Didi, it was a wonderful experience to record gradual changes in the inflorescence of this Euphorbia.

Regards

surajit

[surajit koley]

Sir,

I have recorded fruit pictures of this Euphorbia nivulia on the day before yesterday.

I thank you all very much.

With regards

surajit

[Ushadi Micromini]

very nice

usha di

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Usha di
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[surajit koley]

Thank you again Didi

Regards

surajit