euphorbia

n.
A plant of the genus Euphorbia, which includes the spurges.

[Middle English euforbia, from Latin euphorbea, after Euphorbus, first-century A.D. Greek physician.]

A genus of the plant family Euphorbiaceae; contains diterpenes which cause enteritis and diarrhea. Some species are suspected of containing cyanogenic glycosides. Toxic species include E. boophthona (Gascoyne spurge), E. characias, E. drummondii (mat spurge, caustic creeper), E. helioscopia (sun spurge), E. hydnorae, E. mauritanica, E. melanostica (yellow milk bush), E. phymatoclada, E. ingens (candelabra tree), E. lathyrus (caper spurge), E. marginata (snow-on-the-mountain), E. milii (crown-of-thorns), E. peplus (petty spurge), E. prostrata, E. pulcherrima (poinsettia), E. tirucalli.

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The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: type genus of the Euphorbiaceae: very large genus of diverse plants all having milky juice
  Synonym: genus Euphorbia

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