Euphorbia obesa geometrically precise

Euphorbia obesa, previously E. symmetrica, commonly also the sea urchin and in Afrikaans the Willowmore klipnoors (Willowmore stone spurge) or vetnoors (fat spurge), is a species of many common names. The number of colloquial names of anything reflect on its impact on the minds of people, how much it is noticed and the plans people make for the said object. Such adulation may become threatening, as in the case of this exceptional and therefore among people, desirable plant. Its population numbers in the wild leaves much to be desired.   

The striking succulent grows in the form of a flattened hemisphere, straight lines radiating from the apex, delineating the borders of equal sectors in the regular structure. Each vertical surface section has a row of dots along its midrib, the markings left by old, discarded cyathia. New cyathia always appearing on the ridges right at the top in the centre.

This plant was looking good for a picture in the greenhouse of the Botanical Garden of the University of North-West at the Potchefstroom Campus (Frandsen, 2017; Smith, et al, 2017; iNaturalist; www.cactus-art.biz).