Family
Euphorbiaceae (Spurge family)
The Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family, is a large family of flowering plants. In common English, they are sometimes called euphorbias, which is also the name of a genus in the family. Most spurges such as Euphorbia paralias are herbs, but some, especially in the tropics, are shrubs or trees, such as Hevea brasiliensis. Some, such as Euphorbia canariensis,:206 are succulent and resemble cacti because of convergent evolution. This family occurs mainly in the tropics, with the…