Euphorbia mauritanica stem-tip cyathia and leaves

Euphorbia mauritanica produces clusters of yellow flowers or cyathia at the top of the many erect young stems that make up the yellowish green shrub. In the centre of each cyathia cluster is a male flower surrounded by bisexual ones. Such combinations of double and single sex flowers occur on many other Euphorbia species as well. These flowers appear from late autumn and some may still be seen by the end of spring.

There are many short-lived, lanceolate leaves at the tips of the young branches in winter when the plants grow. Some of the leaves in picture are green, others are cream to pale cream or en route to that colour change. The stem scars where the leaves drop off will soon be all that remains of them. The scars visible here are negligible, seem to fade and are pale in colour on stems in several shades of green.  

The photo was taken in the West Coast National Park in August (Frandsen, 2017; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; iNaturalist; www.namibrand.com).