# cypress spurge

*Euphorbia cyparissias*

When the plant is attacked, it releases a sticky white latex that can glue the mouthparts of small insects shut.

- **Taxonomy:** Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Malpighiales › Euphorbiaceae › Euphorbia
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** increasing
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Dry, stony grasslands, meadows, and disturbed roadsides with well-drained soil.
- **Diet:** Photosynthetic (Sunlight, CO2, and soil nutrients).
- **Range:** Europe, North America, Siberia
- **Size:** 20 to 40 cm in height
- **Lifespan:** Perennial (5-10+ years via rhizomes)
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Invasive species management in non-native ranges; habitat loss in native ranges.
- **Safe to approach?:** DANGEROUS: Contains a milky latex (sap) that is highly irritating to skin and eyes. Do not pick or break stems. If contact occurs, wash skin immediately with soap and water. If sap enters eyes, flush with water and seek urgent medical attention. Do not ingest.

## About

Euphorbia cyparissias , the Cypress spurge , is a species of plant in the genus Euphorbia . It is native to Europe and was introduced to North America in the 1860s as an ornamental plant.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/3915e8dc-d863-412b-9c6a-cb11d10e0e62
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/55766
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphorbia cyparissias
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/170131620/medium.jpg (Douglas Goldman, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.