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Euphorbia cyathophora

Mexican Fire-plant

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Image:	Leaves, fruit and flowers	43KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Mexican Fire-plant, Wild Poinsettia, Mexican Fireweed

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Tiale Tūpāpaku (TS), Tiare Tūpāpaku (TW)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE ?Caribbean - ?C.America

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Naturalised; Land, lowlands

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Ornamental leaves; Weed - minor

Enlarged Image of 'Euphorbia cyathophora'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea: Present?
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
	-	-	-			+		-

Northern Group: Present
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
+++	-	-	-	-	-

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Euphorbia cyathophora J.A.Murray
SYNONYMS: Poinsettia cyathophora; Euphorbia heterophylla [sensu TC/GW]

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ROSIDAE; Euphorbiales; EUPHORBIACEAE

More Information

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Ornamental leaves
NEGATIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Weed - minor. Comments: Mainly in waste and fallow areas. A problem in localised areas.

GENERAL NOTE: Cyathia, characteristic of the Euphorbia family, are small cup-like structures containing tiny flowers. A single cyathium usually contains one female and several male flowers tightly crowded in together. On the outside is at least one glandular structure and often also leafy appendages. Attractive, brightly coloured leaves (=bracts) surround the cyathia taking the place of petals in other flowering plants.

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
None Recorded.

References:
p.618 Wagner et al.- Flowering Plants of Hawaii
p.516 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.2/570 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.294 R* Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.66 Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.404a Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02m zupM04b

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
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