Cypress Spurge - Euphorbia cyparissias

Euphorbia cyparissias is a vigorously spreading rhizomatous plant with erect stems to 40 cm tall, bearing very narrow blue-green leaves, and greenish-yellow flowers, often becoming orange with age.

Several other species within the Euphorbia esula species aggregate may be found, with very similar flowers but different leaf-shapes.

Glabrous plant, with linear leaves. The glands on the cyathium (the cup shaped structure that bears the male and female flowers) are concave on the outer edge, with two points.

A photograph of the plant in its habitat, with details of flowers and leaves

Grown as a garden plant and sometimes escaping and establishing in bare and disturbed places, railway verges and various cracks and crevices.

Late spring and early summer.

Perennial.

Widespread and fairly frequent as an escape in Britain.

Uncommon or under recorded as an escape in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 5 of the 617 tetrads. In the current checklist (Jeeves, 2011) it is listed as Alien (neophyte); rare