I finally got around to repotting my spiny Euphorbia ferox into a larger pot with similar spines on the side:
Little itsy bitsy teeny tiny yellow flower buds are popping out all over.
If you’re thinking that you have heard “Euphorbia” before, well it’s possible. Your common Christmas poinsettia is Euphorbia pulcherrima.
The common “crown of thorns” also is a Euphorbia, Euphorbia milii.
The genus Euphorbia is a very large and diverse genus of plants, as shown here. Who would think that the poinsettia was botanically related to those thorny cacti?
According to sources, it’s the result of convergent evolution where independent evolution results in similar features in species of different lineages.
Hmmm.
I’m just not seeing the poinsettia’s “similar features” to those two thorny cacti?
Anyone?
Russel Ray Photos 