WildBristol.uk - Discovering Wildlife in Bristol

Widespread but uncommon casual or garden escape. Often planted. Habitat includes: gardens, parks, allotments, churchyards etc. Growing habit: Evergreen Perennial. Height: Up to 1.5 m. Flowers: March to June. There are 2 subspecies: ssp. characias (scattered) - cyathia glands dark reddish-brown with short points, ssp. veneta (more common) - cyathia glands yellowish with long points.

Stace 4:

E. characias L. - Mediterranean Spurge.

Densely hairy, tufted perennial; stems biennial, with inflorescences arising from tops in 2nd year, to 1.5m; leaves of 1st-year stems oblanceolate, entire, hairy; capsule smooth, hairy; seeds smooth; (2n=20). Neophyte-survivor; grown in gardens, persistent on old garden sites and waste ground.

Key:

• Opposite pairs of bracts fused at base; stems hairy
• Capsules densely hairy; primary branches of topmost whorl of inflorescence 10-20