Common name
English: Purple Spurge
German: Sumpfquendel-Wolfsmilch
English: Purple Spurge
German: Sumpfquendel-Wolfsmilch
Kingdom: Plantae (2715)
Phylum: Tracheophyta (2630)
Class: Magnoliopsida (2217)
Order: Malpighiales (120)
Family: Euphorbiaceae (80)(family description)
Genus: Euphorbia (30)
Epithet: peplis L. (1)
Synonyms: Anisophyllum peplis (L.) Haw., Chamaesyce maritima Gray, Chamaesyce peplis (L.) Prokh., Euphorbia dichotoma Forssk., Euphorbia rubescens Link, Tithymalus auriculatus Lam., Tithymalus peplis (L.) Scop.
auriculatus => ear-shaped
dichotoma => divided in two, forked
maritima => growing on the seashore, confined to the coast
peplis => name for Chamaesyce peplis recorded by Pedanius Dioscorides (40—90 AD), a Greek physician, pharmacologist and botanist
rubescens => becoming red, turning red
Climate: sub-tropical
Habitat: xerophytic
Habit: herb
Flower colour: green, red
Check for Euphorbia peplis at
World Flora Online, GBIF or IPNI