Radium-plant (Euphorbia peplus, Sp. Pl.: 456 (1753))

Family: Euphorbiaceae

Author: L.

Bibliography: Sp. Pl.: 456 (1753)

Year: 1753

Status: accepted

Rank: species

Genus: Euphorbia

Vegetable: False

Observations: Medit. to Somalia, Europe to W. Himalaya

Description

The Radium-plant, known scientifically as Euphorbia peplus, is a member of the Euphorbiaceae family. This hardy and versatile species boasts a widespread native habitat spanning from the Mediterranean region to Somalia and extending from Europe to the western Himalayas.

First described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 in his seminal work, “Species Plantarum,” Euphorbia peplus has captivated botanists and horticulturists for centuries. The plant typically grows in a multitude of environments, demonstrating remarkable adaptability.

The Radium-plant is often recognized for its fresh, tender green leaves and its small, inconspicuous flowers, which form in clusters. One of its distinctive features is the milky sap it exudes when damaged, a characteristic trait of many Euphorbia species. Historically, this sap has been used in traditional medicine, although caution is advised due to its potentially irritating properties.

Euphorbia peplus is also valued for its aesthetic appeal in garden settings, where its robust nature and ease of care make it a popular choice for enhancing green landscapes. However, gardeners should monitor its spread, as it can become invasive under the right conditions.

In summary, the Radium-plant is a resilient and intriguing species, bridging ecological zones from the Mediterranean through to the western Himalayas, and continues to be a subject of interest both for its practical uses and its botanical significance.

Common Names

Lit: daržinė karpažolė
Dan: gaffel-vortemælk
Deu: garten-wolfsmilch, gartenwolfsmilch
Eng: petty spurge, radium-plant
Est: aed-piimalill
Nob: byvortemelk
Nno: byvortemjølk
Lav: d
Fra: euphorbe des jardins
Swe: kolmisädetyräkki, rävtörel, rävmjölkstörel
Fin: kolmisädetyräkki
Ces: mlie, pryšec okrouhlý
Spa: tomagallos
Nld: tuinwolfsmelk
Nor: vargmjølk
Por: ésula-redonda
Cym: fflamgoed fechan, llaeth y cythraul, llaethlys bach
En: Radium-plant, Petty spurge, Spurge
Ar: صابون غيط, لبين (لِبين)، لبينه (لِبيْنه), ودينه (وِدِينه)، معلقه (مَعْلَقه)
Ca: Lleteresa peplus
Cs: Mlie, Pryšec okrouhlý
Da: Gaffel-vortemælk
Nl: Tuinwolfsmelk, Tuinwolfsmeik
Et: Aed-piimalill
Fi: Kolmisädetyräkki
Fr: Euphorbe des jardins, Euphorbe des jardiniers, Ésule ronde, Euphorbe des vignes, Euphorbe omblette, Euphorbe Péplus, Essule ronde
De: Garten-Wolfsmilch, Gartenwolfsmilch, Garten Wolfsmilch
He: חלבלוב מצוי
It: Calenzuola piccola, Euforbia minore
Lv: D
Lt: Daržinė karpažolė
No: Vargmjølk
Nb: Byvortemelk
Nn: Byvortemjølk
Pt: Ésula-redonda
Pt-br: Leiteira-de-jardim, Alfavaca-venenosa
Sk: Mliečnik okrúhlolistý
Es: Tomagallos, Lecherina, Lechetrezna reduela
Sv: Rävtörel, Kolmisädetyräkki, Rävmjölkstörel
Cy: Fflamgoed Fechan, Llaeth y Cythraul, Llaethlys Bach

Synonyms

• Euphorbia peplus var. amponitana (Sennen)
• Euphorbion peplum ((L.) St.-Lag.)
• Tithymalus peplus ((L.) Hill)
• Keraselma peplus ((L.) Raf.)
• Esula peplus ((L.) Haw.)
• Galarhoeus peplus ((L.) Prokh.)

Distribution

• Albania (native)
• Algeria (native)
• Austria (native)
• Baleares (native)
• Baltic States (native)
• Belarus (native)
• Belgium (native)
• Bulgaria (native)
• Corse (native)
• Czechoslovakia (native)
• East Aegean Is. (native)
• East European Russia (native)
• Egypt (native)
• Eritrea (native)
• Finland (native)
• France (native)
• Germany (native)
• Greece (native)
• Gulf States (native)
• Hungary (native)
• Iceland (native)
• Iran (native)
• Iraq (native)
• Italy (native)
• Kriti (native)
• Lebanon-Syria (native)
• Libya (native)
• Morocco (native)
• Netherlands (native)
• North Caucasus (native)
• Northwest European R (native)
• Norway (native)
• Oman (native)
• Pakistan (native)
• Palestine (native)
• Poland (native)
• Portugal (native)
• Romania (native)
• Sardegna (native)
• Saudi Arabia (native)
• Sicilia (native)
• Sinai (native)
• Somalia (native)
• South European Russi (native)
• Spain (native)
• Sudan (native)
• Sweden (native)
• Switzerland (native)
• Transcaucasus (native)
• Tunisia (native)
• Turkey (native)
• Turkey-in-Europe (native)
• Ukraine (native)
• West Himalaya (native)
• Yemen (native)
• Yugoslavia (native)
• Alabama (introduced)
• Alberta (introduced)
• Argentina Northeast (introduced)
• Argentina Northwest (introduced)
• Argentina South (introduced)
• Arizona (introduced)
• Ascension (introduced)
• Assam (introduced)
• Bermuda (introduced)
• Bolivia (introduced)
• Brazil South (introduced)
• Brazil Southeast (introduced)
• British Columbia (introduced)
• California (introduced)
• Chatham Is. (introduced)
• Chile Central (introduced)
• Chile North (introduced)
• China South-Central (introduced)
• China Southeast (introduced)
• Colombia (introduced)
• Colorado (introduced)
• Connecticut (introduced)
• Delaware (introduced)
• Denmark (introduced)
• Easter Is. (introduced)
• Ecuador (introduced)
• Free State (introduced)
• Føroyar (introduced)
• Great Britain (introduced)
• Gulf of Guinea Is. (introduced)
• Haiti (introduced)
• Hawaii (introduced)
• Honduras (introduced)
• Idaho (introduced)
• Illinois (introduced)
• Indiana (introduced)
• Iowa (introduced)
• Ireland (introduced)
• Jamaica (introduced)
• Japan (introduced)
• Juan Fernández Is. (introduced)
• Kentucky (introduced)
• Kermadec Is. (introduced)
• Louisiana (introduced)
• Madeira (introduced)
• Maine (introduced)
• Manitoba (introduced)
• Maryland (introduced)
• Masachusettes (introduced)
• Mexico Central (introduced)
• Mexico Gulf (introduced)
• Mexico Northeast (introduced)
• Mexico Southeast (introduced)
• Mexico Southwest (introduced)
• Michigan (introduced)
• Montana (introduced)
• Nevada (introduced)
• New Brunswick (introduced)
• New Caledonia (introduced)
• New Hampshire (introduced)
• New Jersey (introduced)
• New Mexico (introduced)
• New York (introduced)
• New Zealand North (introduced)
• New Zealand South (introduced)
• Newfoundland (introduced)
• Norfolk Is. (introduced)
• North Carolina (introduced)
• North Dakota (introduced)
• Nova Scotia (introduced)
• Ohio (introduced)
• Ontario (introduced)
• Oregon (introduced)
• Paraguay (introduced)
• Pennsylvania (introduced)
• Peru (introduced)
• Pitcairn Is. (introduced)
• Prince Edward I. (introduced)
• Québec (introduced)
• Rhode I. (introduced)
• Saskatchewan (introduced)
• St.Helena (introduced)
• Taiwan (introduced)
• Tasmania (introduced)
• Tennessee (introduced)
• Texas (introduced)
• Tristan da Cunha (introduced)
• Tuamotu (introduced)
• Utah (introduced)
• Venezuela (introduced)
• Venezuelan Antilles (introduced)
• Vermont (introduced)
• Virginia (introduced)
• Washington (introduced)
• West Siberia (introduced)
• West Virginia (introduced)
• Wisconsin (introduced)
• Zambia (introduced)
• Zimbabwe (introduced)

Additional Images

Leaf

Taken Dec 7, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)

Taken Oct 25, 2019 by Z H (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 19, 2021 by Marzanna Bug (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 18, 2022 by Peta Stange (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 28, 2021 by Pline L’ancien (cc-by-sa)

Habit

Taken Jan 16, 2022 by Nathalie Potel (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 31, 2021 by Jeff B (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 7, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 19, 2019 by Llandrich anna (cc-by-sa)

Taken Apr 8, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Taken Apr 8, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 27, 2020 by Elven Lanoë (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 8, 2020 by Florent Portalez (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 8, 2019 by fournier (cc-by-sa)

Taken Jun 17, 2012 by Tela Botanica − Renaud Jégat (cc-by-sa)

Bark

Taken Nov 12, 2016 by Matesanz Ángel (cc-by-sa)

Taken Apr 22, 2012 by Martin Bishop (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 15, 2016 by Tela Botanica − jean-marie PAGNIER (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 15, 2016 by Tela Botanica − jean-marie PAGNIER (cc-by-sa)

Taken Dec 7, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Taken Nov 26, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 11, 2021 by Paloma Barrau (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 25, 2020 by Judith Legros (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 5, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 29, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)

Other

Taken Apr 15, 2016 by Tela Botanica − Jade Boches (cc-by-sa)

Taken Feb 15, 2016 by Tela Botanica − jean-marie PAGNIER (cc-by-sa)

Taken Aug 22, 2021 by Angela Lanspeary (cc-by-sa)

Taken Nov 19, 2022 by KP Laer (cc-by-sa)

Taken Mar 8, 2020 by Florent Portalez (cc-by-sa)

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Sources

• WFO (No URL)
• IPNI (No URL)
• GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/3066386)
• POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:347724-1)
• PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Euphorbia peplus L.)

Specifications

Growth habit: Forb/herb

Growth

Ph maximum: 7.5

Ph minimum: 7.0

Light: 8

Atmospheric humidity: 5

Bloom months: [‘jan’, ‘feb’, ‘mar’, ‘apr’, ‘may’, ‘jun’, ‘jul’, ‘aug’, ‘sep’, ‘oct’, ‘nov’, ‘dec’]

Soil nutriments: 7