Euphorbia cyparissias

Cypress Spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias )

The Cypress Spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias ) is a plant which belongs to the same family of the spurge family ( Euphorbiaceae ).

Description

This bluish-green, perennial, herbaceous plant reaches heights of growth between 15 and 50 cm and has densely leafy stems. There are on the plants usually two different-looking types of drives. The non-flowering shoots are fir frond -like cypress similar looking, whence is derived the name.

The main umbel (apparent umbel) is vielstrahlig; Bracts of the upper branch are not adherent, yellow and finally red. The nectar glands are crescent-shaped, two-horned, waxy yellow. The capsule fruit is feinwarzig.

The flowering period extends from May to September.

Ecology

The Cypress Spurge is a rare summer - winter green plant stem and root buds - Geophyt and a Wurzelkriechpionier. With injuries of the plant immediately, a white milky juice is secreted from undifferentiated milk juice sacs. This contains up to 15 % resin, rubber, fats, protein, starch and other substances. It is used to wound closure and corrosion protection.

The flowers are strictly vorweibliche " nectar leading disk flowers ". The nectaries are small, golden-yellow glands that secrete the fragrant honey nectar. The flowers are often visited by insects especially bees.

The 3-part schizocarps fall into 3 " cocci ", the explosively open by a push mechanism and the seeds continue fling ( self- propagation ). In addition, the seeds also have a oil body which promotes the spread by ants. Anthill are therefore often covered tightly to the Cypress Spurge.

Toxicology

All parts of the plant are highly toxic by the milky sap. The main active ingredients are diterpene esters from ingenane type, so-called Cyparissiasfaktoren. They are highly irritating to the skin and tumor-promoting.

The plants are indeed largely shunned by cattle because of their pungent odor and taste, since the toxic effect by drying but does not lose poisoning by hay still possible.

Contact with skin causes painful blisters to form. The sticky milky sap should under no circumstances come into contact with the eye! He is it difficult to remove and may cause serious hazardous conjunctival and corneal inflammation.

Dissemination

The Cypress Spurge is up to the alpine altitude levels (up to 2300 meters ) spread throughout Europe; partly it is now spread to Asia. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland it is common nowadays.

Preferably, it grows on limestone, poor grass, sheep pastures, dry slopes and rocks.

Special

Often the Cypress Spurge is infected by pea rust ( Uromyces pisi ) of the foliage leaf underside with orange pustules ( aecia = ) covered. The infested plants change their appearance to; the stems are weak and unbranched, the leaves ovate and about 1 cm long, the plant is prevented from flowering. The metabolism is modified so that the plant on the undersides of leaves nectar and a fruity perfume exudes, which serve as attractants for the dissemination of the fungus.

In homeopathy, the Cypress Spurge is used under the name " Tithymalus cyparissias ".