Euphorbia davyi stems

The stems of Euphorbia davyi stand erect or lean outwards slightly upon the underground tuber or caudex in a formation resembling parade ground order. The outer stems are gradually pushed outwards as more new ones appear in the centre of the growing plant. The overall effect is a smoothly regular, flattish dome in which the longest stems add width rather than height. The stems are cylindrical, bulging a little near the tops, where the younger green tubercles appear bigger than lower down, the uppermost ones bearing leaves.

There is a patterned regularity in the arrangement of these tubercles on this and many other spineless Euphorbia species. The rhomboid surface structures covering the stems are tipped with white spots, marking the places from where the deciduous leaves had dropped off. The central tuft of young leaves remaining at the stem tops are narrowly oblong or linear. The leaves are fleshy blue-green or reddish, channelled from the margins tilting upwards (Frandsen, 2017; iNaturalist; iSpot; JSTOR).