Euphorbiaceae: Characters, Economic Importance, Distribution and Types

Diagnostic characters of Euphorbiaceae:

1. Habit: Annual perennial Herbs, shrubs, or tree: most of plants are xerophytic (e.g. include the entire yucca family, acacia trees, & mesquite trees). presence of milky juice.

2. Roots: Tap root, adventitious root; plant arise from root.

3. Stem: Herbaceous and fleshy: spiny; erect, woody, brown in colour. 

4. Leaves: Sessile (e.g. Achyranthus, Saffron, Sisyrinchium) or petiolate: alternate; simple: there is the general tendency of reduction in leaves. Sometimes, leaves are reduced to scales or spines i.e sharp, pointed structures. Unicostate recticulate. 

5. Inflorescence: Racemose (Mustard, Gulmohar, Wheat, and Parsley) or cymose; Often a cyathium, cyathium has single naked female flower in the centre. Five involucral bracts surround it. In the axil of each and every flower, there are naked male flowers.

6. Flower: Pedicillate; bracteate; actinomorphic; Regular; incomplete; unisexual; hypogynous.

7. Perianth: 5 perianth leaves; free; sometimes perianth is totally absent. 

8. Stamens: 5 stamens; free.

9. Carpel: Tricarpillary (HALF INFERIOR OVARY); syncarpous ovary superior; Axile placentation.

10. Fruits: Shizocarpic fruit regma, rarely a capsule 

11. Seed: Endospermic.

Floral formula of Euphorbiaceae:

Floral diagram of Euphorbiaceae:

Economic Importance of Euphorbiaceae:

1. Source of food: The plant Manihot gives starchy food from its tuberous roots. 

2. Oils: Some plants give wood oil, artist oil and other drying oils. These oils are commercially used in paints. These oils are extracted from the seeds of several species belong to the family Euphorbiaceae.

3. Lubricant and purgative: Castor oil and Corton oil are used as purgatives.

4. Poisons: The milky juice of many plants like Manihot, Mercurialis has deadly poisons. Some are very dangerous for human health like stomach. Most of these can cause blindness of eyes. Therefore, these poisons are used for murder and suicides. Some specific poisons taken from this family members are also used to kill some insects.

5. Medicinal uses: The fruit of Phyllanthus emblica has many medicinal uses. 

6. Rubber: Several species of Hevea, Manihot gives common rubber in their latex.

7. Box wood: Box wood is obtained from Buxus specie. It is best wood for wood engraving.

8. Ornamental plants: The plants of this family have attractive colours. So they are commonly used as ornamental plants in parks, houses and gardens. Examples: Euphorbia splendens, Euphorbia pulcherrima, castor bean.

9. Dyes: Chrozophora gives dye.

Distribution pattern of Euphorbiaceae:

This family has worldwide distribution. Most of its plants are xerophytes. They are found in deserts. Some species are common in tropical areas.

Common species of Euphorbiaceae:

(a) Euphorbia helioscopia (Spurge).

(b) Euphorbia pilulifera.

(c) Euphorbia royleana.

(d) PAyllanthus emblica.

(e) Ricinus communis.