Euphorbiaceae Herb for ID: AVD 09042014

[Adittya Dharap]

Please help me identifying the Euphorbiaceae herb - Euphorbia sp. attached herewith.

 

Habit: Herb, prostrate

Habitat: Road side waste land

 

Leaves: 1 to 1.5 cm, Elliptic - oblong, glabrous, rounded tip, minutely serrated to crenulate, petiole - 2 mm

Entire plant very leafy, glabrous.

 

Currently in flowering. Image taken on 9th April 2014

 

 

best regards

 

Adittya Dharap

 

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks a lot, Balakrishnan ji & Tapas ji.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tapas Chakrabarty <tcha...@gmail.com>
Date: 10 April 2014 13:12
Subject: Fwd: [efloraofindia:185942] Euphorbiaceae Herb for ID: AVD 09042014
To: "J.M. Garg" <jmg...@gmail.com>

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Nambiyath Balakrishnan <npba...@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Apr 9, 2014 at 10:19 PM
Subject: Re: [efloraofindia:185942] Euphorbiaceae Herb for ID: AVD 09042014
To: Tapas Chakrabarty <tcha...@gmail.com>

This appears to be E. pycnostegia Boiss. var. zornioides (Boiss.) Santapau, endemic to C.& Pen. India.

N.P.Balakrishnan

9 Apr. 2014

On 9 April 2014 16:37, Tapas Chakrabarty <tcha...@gmail.com> wrote:

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With regards,
J.M.Garg

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[Adittya Dharap]

 

Thank you so much for identifying this. But I have few doubts.

The description given by Fr. Santapau on E.pycnostegia var.zorniodes in Flora of Khandala is as follows:

 

"Very similar to E.pycnostegia from which it is separated by smooth, non-tuberculate seeds. Leaves are opposite, but branches quite often are only produced in the axil of one of them; size of leaves upto 55x17 mm "

 

I had seen E.pycnostegia in field last year and it was an erect, stout 1 - 2 feet high plant.

 

While the plant in question is prostrate, small and spreading.

I

BSI Flora of Maharashtra has not included this var.zorniodes instead  mentions E.zorniodes as a different species.

But the features given under this doesnt seem to match with my plant.

 

best regards

 

Adittya Dharap

[J.M. Garg]

[Nambiyath Balakrishnan]

I can quiet understand your concerns on the identity of the species. It is necessary to have broader look at each species.
Herbaceous Euphorbia species growing in wet habitats, particularly the pycnostegia complex is very variable, depending on the ecological conditions, where they grow. Hence we cannot fix hard and fast parameters on their morphology. Each author describes them in different ways depending on their ecological environment. It is nor advisable to describe each as a separate variety, which would add only confusion and chaos; one has to take a broad outlook on the phenotypic plasticity to each species. Only  a monographer, who has studied a large number of herbarium specimens from various localities can give a broad all-encompassing description.

N.P. Balakrishnan

11 Apr. 2014

[Adittya Dharap]

Really grateful for clarifying my doubt! I will keep this under E.pycnostegia var. zornoides as suggested by you.

 

Thanks once again.

 

best regards

Adittya Dharap

From: Nambiyath Balakrishnan <npba...@gmail.com>
To: J.M. Garg <jmg...@gmail.com>
Cc: efloraofindia <indian...@googlegroups.com>; Adittya Dharap <aditty...@yahoo.com>
Sent: Friday, April 11, 2014 3:21 PM
Subject: Re: Fwd: [efloraofindia:186090] Euphorbiaceae Herb for ID: AVD 09042014

I can quiet understand your concerns on the identity of the species. It is necessary to have broader look at each species.
Herbaceous Euphorbia species growing in wet habitats, particularly the pycnostegia complex is very variable, depending on the ecological conditions, where they grow. Hence we cannot fix hard and fast parameters on their morphology. Each author describes them in different ways depending on their ecological environment. It is nor advisable to describe each as a separate variety, which would add only confusion and chaos; one has to take a broad outlook on the phenotypic plasticity to each species. Only  a monographer, who has studied a large number of herbarium specimens from various localities can give a broad all-encompassing description.

N.P. Balakrishnan

11 Apr. 2014

On 11 April 2014 13:42, J.M. Garg <jmg...@gmail.com> wrote:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Adittya Dharap <aditty...@yahoo.com>
Date: 10 April 2014 21:04
Subject: Re: Fwd: [efloraofindia:185942] Euphorbiaceae Herb for ID: AVD 09042014
To: "J.M. Garg" <jmg...@gmail.com>, efloraofindia <indian...@googlegroups.com>, Tapas Chakrabarty <tcha...@gmail.com>

 

Thank you so much for identifying this. But I have few doubts.

The description given by Fr. Santapau on E.pycnostegia var.zorniodes in Flora of Khandala is as follows:

 

"Very similar toE.pycnostegia from which it is separated by smooth, non-tuberculate seeds. Leaves are opposite, but branches quite often are only produced in the axil of one of them; size of leaves upto 55x17 mm "

[J.M. Garg]

Forwarding again for Id confirmation or otherwise please.

Some earlier relevant feedback:

This appears to be E. pycnostegia Boiss. var. zornioides (Boiss.) Santapau, endemic to C.& Pen. India. N.P.Balakrishnan

Thank you so much for identifying this. But I have few doubts.

The description given by Fr. Santapau on E.pycnostegia var.zorniodes in Flora of Khandala is as follows:

"Very similar to E.pycnostegia from which it is separated by smooth, non-tuberculate seeds. Leaves are opposite, but branches quite often are only produced in the axil of one of them; size of leaves upto 55x17 mm "

I had seen E.pycnostegia in field last year and it was an erect, stout 1 - 2 feet high plant.  While the plant in question is prostrate, small and spreading.I BSI Flora of Maharashtra has not included this var.zorniodes instead  mentions E.zorniodes as a different species. But the features given under this doesnt seem to match with my plant.  best regards  Adittya Dharap

I can quiet understand your concerns on the identity of the species. It is necessary to have broader look at each species.

Herbaceous Euphorbia species growing in wet habitats, particularly the pycnostegia complex is very variable, depending on the ecological conditions, where they grow. Hence we cannot fix hard and fast parameters on their morphology. Each author describes them in different ways depending on their ecological environment. It is nor advisable to describe each as a separate variety, which would add only confusion and chaos; one has to take a broad outlook on the phenotypic plasticity to each species. Only  a monographer, who has studied a large number of herbarium specimens from various localities can give a broad all-encompassing description.

N.P. Balakrishnan 11 Apr. 2014

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Adittya Dharap <aditty...@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2014 at 15:03
Subject: [efloraofindia:185942] Euphorbiaceae Herb for ID: AVD 09042014
To: efloraofindia <indian...@googlegroups.com>

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With regards,
J.M.Garg

[Nathan Taylor]

Habit is indeed a variable characteristic and I often see species that are ordinarily upright spread out from the base (especially when damaged).  Prostrate species can also grow upright in shade or dense competition with other plants.  However, due to the cyathium clustering, this isn't E. pycnostegia nor any of the sect. Elegantes as the members of sect. Elegantes all have solitary cyathia in the leaf axils.  The presence of hairs also indicate a taxon other than zornioides, which is glabrous.  

The plant is probably closely related to E. indica or may even be an odd form of that species.  However, I would need to do more research to be confident in any species-level ID.  Photographs of the seeds would be very helpful in determining the species.

Best,

Nathan Taylor

[J.M. Garg]

Thanks a lot, Nathan ji

--

With regards,
J.M.Garg