Euphorbia atropurpurea
Encyclopedia
Euphorbia atropurpurea, called tabaiba majorera or tabaiba roja in Spanish
, is a shrub
in the family Euphorbiaceae
native to Tenerife
in the Canary Islands
. It can reach 2 metres in height, and grows in ravines, and on slopes and terraces.
The plant grows best in humid conditions in mid to low altitudes (300-1,200 m) on the south and west parts of the island. It is plentiful in the towns of Teno
, Santiago del Teide
, and the slope of Güímar
.
The shrub can reach over 2 m with stems and suculent branches without spines. It has large bluish green leaves, which form a rosette
at the end of the branches. The plant flowers from winter to spring (December to May). The flower
s have dark red bracts greater than 1 cm in size. These bracts lend the plant its name, atropurpurea (from the Latin
ater or "black", and purple). It should not be confused with E. bravoana, which is endemic to the nearby island of La Gomera
and also has purple-red bracts. The fruit
is a red capsule
with three dark brown seeds.
Like other plants in the genus Euphorbia, it produces a toxic white latex
if cut.
E. atropurpurea is used as an ornamental plant
in gardens for its eye-catching appearance and flowers. It requires little care, but requires sunlight and a certain amount of environmental humidity. It generally spreads by seeds, or more rarely by simply branching out.
In the area of Masca
, in Tenerife, hybrids between E. atropurpurea and Euphorbia regis-jubae occur, which the Swedish
botanist Eric Ragnor Sventenius
named Euphorbia navae in honour of Alonso de Nava y Grimón, founder of the Botanical Garden of La Orotava.
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, is a shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
in the family Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae, the Spurge family are a large family of flowering plants with 300 genera and around 7,500 species. Most are herbs, but some, especially in the tropics, are also shrubs or trees. Some are succulent and resemble cacti....
native to Tenerife
Tenerife
Tenerife is the largest and most populous island of the seven Canary Islands, it is also the most populated island of Spain, with a land area of 2,034.38 km² and 906,854 inhabitants, 43% of the total population of the Canary Islands. About five million tourists visit Tenerife each year, the...
in the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
. It can reach 2 metres in height, and grows in ravines, and on slopes and terraces.
The plant grows best in humid conditions in mid to low altitudes (300-1,200 m) on the south and west parts of the island. It is plentiful in the towns of Teno
Teno
Teno is a Chilean city and commune in the Curicó Province, Maule Region. A large percentage of inhabitants are of mestizo and Mapuche Indian origin...
, Santiago del Teide
Santiago del Teide
Santiago del Teide is a municipality in the Canary Islands, and part of the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Its area is 52.26 km², the population is 10,777 . Resort towns in the municipality are Acantilados de Los Gigantes, Puerto de Santiago, Playa de la Arena and Santiago del Teide....
, and the slope of Güímar
Güímar
Güímar is the name of a municipality, town, and valley in the eastern part of the Spanish island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands, and part of Santa Cruz de Tenerife...
.
The shrub can reach over 2 m with stems and suculent branches without spines. It has large bluish green leaves, which form a rosette
Rosette (botany)
In botany, a rosette is a circular arrangement of leaves, with all the leaves at a single height.Though rosettes usually sit near the soil, their structure is an example of a modified stem.-Function:...
at the end of the branches. The plant flowers from winter to spring (December to May). The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s have dark red bracts greater than 1 cm in size. These bracts lend the plant its name, atropurpurea (from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
ater or "black", and purple). It should not be confused with E. bravoana, which is endemic to the nearby island of La Gomera
La Gomera
La Gomera is one of Spain's Canary Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa. In area, it is the second-smallest of the seven main islands of this group.- Political organization :...
and also has purple-red bracts. The fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is a red capsule
Capsule (fruit)
In botany a capsule is a type of simple, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. A capsule is a structure composed of two or more carpels that in most cases is dehiscent, i.e. at maturity, it splits apart to release the seeds within. A few capsules are indehiscent, for example...
with three dark brown seeds.
Like other plants in the genus Euphorbia, it produces a toxic white latex
Latex
Latex is the stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic.Latex as found in nature is a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins,...
if cut.
E. atropurpurea is used as an ornamental plant
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
in gardens for its eye-catching appearance and flowers. It requires little care, but requires sunlight and a certain amount of environmental humidity. It generally spreads by seeds, or more rarely by simply branching out.
In the area of Masca
Masca
Masca is a small mountain village located in Buenavista del Norte on a small mountain road named Masca. The village is home to around 150 inhabitants. The village is in the Teno mountains, which range from 600 to 800 m and extend up to the northwesternmost point of Tenerife. The village in the...
, in Tenerife, hybrids between E. atropurpurea and Euphorbia regis-jubae occur, which the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
botanist Eric Ragnor Sventenius
Eric Ragnor Sventenius
Eric Ragnor Sventenius was a Hispano-Swedish botanist....
named Euphorbia navae in honour of Alonso de Nava y Grimón, founder of the Botanical Garden of La Orotava.