[lincspoacher]

I have this plant thats grows in my garden, randomly. I dont mind it, which is good, its actually quite spectacular. It grows to about 5 foot high, with hundreds of small yellow flowers.

The plantlet produces two cotyledon at a height of 3 inches, and then two more at right angles another half inch higher, and then a pair every half an inch until it bifurcates.

The interesting way it grows is curious, it grows to about 2 foot, then every branch at that height bifurcates into two or four, then it grows another 18 inches, and all the branches bifurcate together again , and then again after another 18 inches, then at that point all the ends of the branches flower. As you can imagine, three bifurcations produces a plant thats like a pyramid point down, and theres hundreds of heads at the top. The root appears to be a small stubby tuber, and its pulled fairly easily. theres always one or two growing round the garden, no more, no less, no matter how i pull them up, but like I said, there actually quite spectacular, although a bit large.

Heres two photos of them. One shows the stem bifurcation quites clearly, the other the top of the plant at the second bifurcation:





ANyone know what it is?

[muntjac]

the picyures havent come up matey

[lincspoacher]

the picyures havent come up matey

there ya go!!!

[Aunt Sally]

Euphorbia - caper spruge

[lincspoacher]

ok, here what i found, your spot on with the ID!!

Euphorbia lathyris (Caper Spurge or Paper Spurge) is a species of spurge native to southern Europe (France, Italy, Greece, and possibly southern England), northwest Africa, and eastward through southwest Asia to western China.[1][2][3]

Other names occasionally used include Gopher Spurge, Gopher Plant or Mole Plant.[1]

It is an erect biennial (occasionally annual) plant growing up to 1.5 m tall, with a glaucous blue-green stem. The leaves are arranged in decussate opposite pairs, and are lanceolate, 5-15 cm long and 1-2.5 cm broad, glaucous blue-green with a waxy texture and pale greenish-white midrib and veins. The flowers are green to yellow-green, 4 mm diameter, with no petals. The seeds are green ripening brown or grey, produced in globular clusters 13-17 mm diameter of three seeds compressed together.[3][4]

All parts of the plant, including the seeds and roots are poisonous. Handling may may cause skin irritation as the plant produces latex. While poisonous to humans and most livestock, goats sometimes eat it and are immune to the toxin. However, the toxin can be passed through the goat's milk.[5]

Away from its native range, it is widely naturalised in many regions, where it is often considered an invasive weed.[1][2][4] It grows in partial shade to full sun in USDA zones 5–9.

The Mole Plant is sold by some nurseries[6] as it is believed to repel moles. It is used in folk medicine as a poison, antiseptic, and a purgative. It is used as a folk remedy for cancer, corns, and warts.[7]



Hmm, maybe id better stop chucking them into the compost when i pull them out................

[muntjac]

isnt milk weed another name for it?

[Brambles]

Had this in my garden some years ago.   Found it very invasive and had a devils own job to get rid of it!   For me, it is neither use nor ornament!

[Aunt Sally]

isnt milk weed another name for it?

Nope,  I don't think so Munty.

[lincspoacher]

The interesting bit is that its a Mediterranean plant, according to the description, and here it is in Lincolnshire.  Must be global warming, or what ?

[corndolly]

I had one of these plants in my garden thirty years ago,given to me as a present !!!! Told it was a caper spurge .. never ate any of the seeds Thank Goodness. Somehow thought it was nt Right for eating !!

Dug it out and burnt it some 20 years ago but still find the odd seedling , when I spot them I get them out before they produce seeds.

I started out thinking it was an attractive plant now I think of it as a nuisance .

[lincspoacher]

had a thought............feed a nanny goat on them for several weeks then give it to someone you want to get rid of,  showing them how to milk it.........

[sawnee]

I might be wrong but isn't the milky sap caustic (if not at least very nasty)?