Euphorbia duseimata fruiting in Limpopo

    Euphorbia duseimata fruiting in Limpopo
    Author: Ivan Lätti
    Photographer: Judd Kirkel Welwitch

    The thick-stalked fruit of Euphorbia duseimata is a somewhat globose to obtusely lobed capsule, still green in picture. It reaches about 5 mm in diameter. The ovoid seeds produced in the capsule are slightly warty, grey-brown when ripe.

    The cyathia or false flowers that came before were solitary at stem-tips. The cyathium grows on a pedicel of up to 8 mm long. There is a cup-shaped involucre of 4 mm deep and 3 mm in diameter at the base of each. Five elliptic glands of up to 2,5 mm in diameter surround the centre where two to four tooth-like processes, 1 mm long, greenish white, slightly red spotted are present.

    The male flowers have stamens of 3 mm long. The female flowers have smooth ovaries, united styles and short, spreading stigmas (JSTOR; http://llifle.com).

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