Notices for Users of the Albums

1. New Albums and some changes

 

The latest Albums on genera of South African plants added to the Operation Wildflower Site are the ones on Cyrtanthus, Dicoma and Strumaria. This means that photos and stories of plants belonging to these genera already on the Site, together with some new ones, have been moved from the more general Albums called Bulbs and Herbs respectively into their own new Albums under Genera. 

 

There is a genus Album in every case where enough material has been accumulated to warrant a stand-alone grouping of photos and stories. There are now more than 220 such genera Albums. The biggest ones (most photos) belong to the genera Crassula, Euphorbia, Pelargonium, Aloe and Erica. Keep watching, more will be added. If there is no genus Album yet on the plant you are looking for, check under Types, the grouping that the Site was started off with, accessible via the pictured items shown on the right. The Search Box may yield more, for plants and related material are also shown in Albums on Habitat, Regions and Parks and Gardens.

 

In order to access items on a plant of interest, enter its botanical name in the Search Box. Entering other words or names will access what is contained in the Albums database. The latest Regions Album is the one on Nature's Valley and the latest Parks and Gardens Album is on Tietiesbaai also known as the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve.

 

2. Want to talk about a plant or an Album item?

 

There is a new way of communicating with the Editor of this Site regarding any of the Album Items.
Comments, questions, corrections, information and suggestions can be put to the Editor by using the following email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

Please ensure that the Album Item concerned is clearly identified. Type its exact title as well as the Album Name in the Subject Line of your email. Please also state your name.

 

Similarly, communication regarding the functioning or technical aspects of the Site can be directed to the Webmaster at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

3. Reduced Mobile Site for Cell Phone Users

 

Operation Wildflower now also offers a reduced Mobile Site for cell phone use that only presents the Albums contents. This is aimed at overcoming display difficulties on some of the mobile devices in use for quick reference. The reduction found in the Mobile Site doesn't affect the full set of photos and stories of Operation Wildflower, only in diminishing the Site's secondary details that may make it hard to access the items on a small screen.

 

It is best to use the normal or full Operation Wildflower Site on computers, iPads and devices with bigger screens, as well as those that present unimpaired display of full details and access to all material on offer.

 

Should viewing difficulties be experienced on your device, click here to access the Mobile Site.

 

4. Subject Index

 

A Subject Index of a selection of topics touched on in Album Item text has been started, other than plant species. Access it via Information.

 

The Album Item Title should be clicked upon to open the Item dealing with the Topic.

 

Check in the Search Box for yet more subjects not added to the Subject Index list yet.

 

Euphorbia cooperi

 

Botanical name

Euphorbia cooperi

Other names

Lesser candelabra tree; spurge; Transvaalse kandelaarnaboom (Afrikaans)

Family

Euphorbiaceae

Dimensions

A medium sized, spiny, succulent tree with an attractively rounded crown, achieves a height of over 7 m

Description of stem

Trunk is straight, erect and loses all lower branches in a continual process below the compact crown over time; the trunk is grey to dark grey or brown with a gnarled appearance where irregularly spaced old leaf scars (or holes) persist; the branchlets are green or yellow-green and consist of distinctly segmented sections, up to 15 cm in length , in younger plants, smaller and rounder in older plants; the heart-shaped or sometimes triangular sections form attractive upwardly curved, leafless branches; every section has four to six longitudinal lobes with pairs of spines of about 5 mm along the outer ridges that have continuous, narrow and dark spine shields running along them

Description of leaves

Very small, inconspcuous leaves that fall early are sometimes seen on the branch ridges among the spines

Description of flowers

Typical euphorbia type yellow-green cyathia are grouped in threes on the ridges of the terminal branchlet segment, appearing in spring; the central cyathium in each group is male, the other two female

Desciption of seed/fruit

Maroon, triangular, threelobed capsules adorn the top branchlet ridges in spring and summer

Description of roots

 

Variation

The varieties cooperi, calidicola and ussanquensis have been described; only the first one occurs in South Africa, the others are found to the north in other African countries

Propagation and cultivation

Grown from stem cuttings

Tolerances

Drought resistant

Uses

Garden subject, e.g. for xeriscaping, although sometimes avoided by gardeners with children due to the danger of the latex; the latex is used as a fish poison that allows for the paralysed fish to be caught by hand; the fruits are eaten by birds

Ecological rarity

Common

Pests and diseases

 

Other

The latex is said to be one of the most poisonous varieties among the euphorbias to both humans and animals; care should be taken when working with this plant not to ingest any of the latex, to avoid it to come into contact with the eye or even have skin contact as severe irritation and blisters may ensue; the poison, euphorbon, a protein, contained in the latex may cause human death if ingested, as the stomach wall and intestines may be inflamed and even perforated; it may also cause (temporary?) blindness; cortisone cream or Prednisone tablets have been mentioned relating to treatment; a traditional medicine antidote from E. hirta (used in Malawi) is unconfirmed as to its value (Info: www.theamateurdigest.com)

Location

Bushveld and granite outcrops

Distribution (SA provinces)

Kwazulu-Natal; Mpumalanga; Limpopo; Gauteng; North West

Country

South Africa; Zimbabwe; Swaziland; Zambia; Mozambique; Botswana; Tanzania; Malawi

 

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