#cyathia

I have a type

In the photos above you can see a lower clump spreading over a bed of lapillo, the porous crushed volcanic rock readily available and used extensively as mulching in the area as it suppresses weed growth and absorbs and stores air moisture and dew at night. On natural lava rock beds in coastal areas, this spurge often grows in association and within the pioneer shrubby E. balsamifera, which creates the perfect microclimate for E. canariensis to germinate and reach for the sky. I was also lucky to observe the different stages of the beginning of sexual reproduction: in the top photo you can see the characteristic cyathia, not actually flowers, but flower-like structures typical of Euphorbias. Borne in groups of three, the central male one bears yellow-tipped anthers, and is sided by two female cyathia. The bottom photo shows the progress after the female structures are pollinated by bees and flies and the ovules are fertilised: the central male part has fallen off, while two seed capsules are swelling as the seeds mature within them before they split open.    

Euphorbia grantii. Euphorbia cyathia (aka flowers) are so strange that botanists have a whole different vocabulary for them. I'd guess that the white goo on these cyathia are some sort of enticement or reward for pollinators but don't know that for certain. A couple of interesting tidbits gleaned from Wikipedia are: It is often grown as a hedge plant and as a traditional grave marker among the peoples of central Kenya In 1952 during the Mau Mau Uprising, the poisonous latex of the plant was used to kill cattle. #Euphorbia_grantii #Euphorbia #grantii #cyathia #cyathium #flowers #macro #CUgreenhouse. (at CU Greenhouse) https://www.instagram.com/p/CYhR0kSF8cb/?utm_medium=tumblr

Close up picture of Euphorbia marsabitensis cyathia. Notice that for each set (of 3) there are 2 female and 1 male cyathum. Proof that some euphorbia inflorescense are unisexual but the plant is not dioecious. #PlantEnthusiast #NatureLover #Euphorbia #Flower #Cyathia #PlantPhotography #PinoyHobbyist https://www.instagram.com/p/B0AbdX5gHmi/?igshid=1tbwsjnpyid4t