Euphorbias

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A diverse group of flowering plants belonging to the spurge family, often characterized by milky sap and unique inflorescences
2. A genus of plants known for their thickened stems and various forms, including succulent and shrub types, commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions
3. A collection of plants noted for their distinctive features such as latex-like sap and unique flowering structures, important in both horticulture and ecology

Etymology: "Euphorbias" is simply the plural of "euphorbia", so the story belongs to the singular. The name comes from Euphorbus, a physician in the court of King Juba II of Mauretania, who is said to have used the plant's milky sap in medicine. The Latin "euphorbia" was borrowed into English by 1601, and it was later taken up as the formal genus name Euphorbia after 1753, when Linnaeus's system of plant classification fixed it for the whole family of plants. The Middle English form "euforbia" shows the word was already in use before its scientific adoption, and the spelling has since settled into the form that appears in the plural here. Plants in this genus, such as spurges, are recognised by the milky latex they exude when cut, which is the feature the name's common description still points to.