Flora-Fauna

Euphorbia indica Lam.

(First published in Encycl. 2(2): 423 (1788); homotypic synonym: Chamaesyce indica (Lam.) Croizat) (ipni.org)

• Life-form & habit : Annual herb, with spreading to more or less erect branches up to about 50 cm long, rarely longer; most parts sparsely hairy at least when young, often tinged purplish. (zambiaflora.com)

• Leaves : Leaves opposite, ovate, up to 3 cm long, asymmetric at the base, usually glabrous above; margin obscurely toothed; petiole up to 3 mm long; stipules broadly triangular, frilled at the apex, up to 1.5 mm long. (zambiaflora.com)

• Inflorescence & flowers : Inflorescences terminal and axillary, capitate, up to 1.5 cm in diameter; cyathia with glands bearing small white petal-like appendages up to about 1 mm wide. (zambiaflora.com)

• Fruit : Capsule about 2 mm in diameter, acutely 3-lobed, exserted on a reflexed pedicel about 1.5 mm long. (zambiaflora.com)

• Phenology : Flowering period not specified for Lebanon or Syria in the consulted sources.

• Habitat & elevation : Seasonally dry tropical habitats according to POWO; elsewhere recorded from floodplain grassland and seasonally waterlogged places, often on black clay soils. (Plants of the World Online)

• Lebanese distribution : No precise Lebanese locality is available from Mouterde here; occurrence in the Lebanon-Syria unit is retained from POWO’s native range. (Plants of the World Online)

• Native range : Afghanistan, Assam, Bangladesh, China South-Central, China Southeast, East Himalaya, India, Iran, Lebanon-Syria, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, West Himalaya. (Plants of the World Online)

• Introduced range : Aldabra, Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Ethiopia, Free State, Gulf States, Iraq, Kuwait, Malawi, Mozambique, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Socotra, Sudan-South Sudan, Transcaucasus, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe. (Plants of the World Online)

• Diagnostic remarks : A small annual Euphorbia of the Chamaesyce alliance, recognizable by its opposite ovate leaves, asymmetric leaf bases, small frilled stipules, capitate terminal and axillary inflorescences, white petal-like gland appendages, and acutely 3-lobed capsule on a reflexed pedicel. POWO accepts Euphorbia indica Lam. and treats Chamaesyce indica (Lam.) Croizat as a homotypic synonym. (Plants of the World Online)