regnum-plantae:

Euphorbia aphylla, Euphorbiaceae

If we wanted to create a solid common name for this odd-looking shrub I photographed on the southern coast of Lanzarote, it would reflect its binomial name in referring to the most noticeable characteristic, the lack of leaves, and so the name would be leafless spurge. This is another example of how successful Euphorbias have been as a group at diversifying into numerous species with distinct habits and adaptations to often thrive in the same, or similar, habitat/s. At the sides of this large plant were two clumps of the very different, cactoid Canary Island spurge (E. canariensis), while further down the line there was a beautiful, flowering crown of thorns (E. millii), which is actually native to Madagascar, where it is found on rocky, exposed slopes. 

These three species look pretty different, but all have adapted to cope with dry, rocky soils and high light exposure in a similar way: they all went down the line of reducing or completely losing their leaves to cut water loss through transpiration, in favour of photosynthetic stems and branches -only E. millii still retains some apical leaves. This is also very similar to the way aulaga (Launaea arborescens) and verode (Kleinia neriifolia), a couple of native shrubs I described a while ago, have adapted to the same environment, so it’s definitely very successful.

The leafless spurge is grown mostly as an ornamental plant, often in large hedges very close to the shore as it benefits from the moist wind blowing from the sea. It can be kept as a houseplant in temperate climates, but lack of sunshine can be a limiting factor. Regardless, Glasgow Botanic Gardens has one specimen in a heated glasshouse and it would have probably been twice as tall as me if it hadn’t had to be reduced in height at one point, the very thick base betrays old age.