Euphorbia mauritanica stem-tip inflorescence

The geelmelkbos (yellow milk bush) as Euphorbia mauritanica is known in Afrikaans, is a monoecious species, i.e. the male and female flowers normally referred to as false flowers, pseudanthia, pseudo-flowers or cyathia, grow on the same plant.

The male flowers are the first to be formed at the tips of the many robust stems. A ring of five to seven bisexual flowers then appear in further development of the flowerhead around the old male cyathium.

Around each of the cyathia a ring of bright yellow fleshy petal-like glands can be seen. They are presented upon some pale green, pointed bracts, visible in this photo taken at Grotto Bay on the west coast in August (Curtis-Scott, et al, 2020; Frandsen, 2017; Smith, et al, 2017; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2009; iNaturalist).