Annual or perennial, culms are erect, ascending, green tinged with blue, up to 1 meter tall, leaves; smooth, narrow, bending, sessile, lanceolate, inflorescence; spikelets; variable in number, flowers; in an exposed or contracted panicles, compressed laterally, glumes; in numbers, flowering glumes; tri-nerved, densely arranged, over-lapping, flowers contained are perfect, oftenly tinged with purplish shade, grains; minute, sometimes free. Scattered throughout the Philippines and the tropic.
Euphorbia milli(syn. E. splendens)
Commonly known as Crown of Thorns. Erect sometimes climbing, semi-succulent, thick wooded stems, cylindric or obscurely angled, slow growing up to 4 feet long, heavily thorned, leaves; few, whorled, bright green, oblong, blunt tip, somewhat sessile, flowers; in dense clusters, tiny yellow flowers situated in a bright pink bract. Commonly cultivated in gardens distributed throughout the Philippines. Native of Madagascar.
Euphorbia pulcherrima
This shrub is erect and branching, to 4m tall, having a woody stem and exuding milky sap. Its leaves are alternate, eeliptic to oblong-elliptic, the upper ones being lanceolate acute or acuminate, to 18cm long and to6cm wide. The lower leaves are green, slightly lobed and long petioled, the upper leaves at time of flowering are bright red. Its inflorescence is terminal, with small flowers that are crowded, red, and with two large yellow glands. It is native to tropical America, and now widely cultivated in the Philippines. It is propagated by stem cuttings.
Euphorbia trigona
A succulent, spiny, cactus-like shrub to small tree, this plant has branches that have milky sap, and are erect, straight, and constricted into 10cm to 20cm segments, 3-4 angled, dark green with whitish band running down each groove. The ridges are lined with pairs of short, stiff spines. Its leaves are fleshy, spatulate and pale green. It is native to tropical Africa, and widespread in the Philippines and planted as a hedge.
Evodia suaveolens
A shrub 2 m or taller, its leaves are opposite, trifoliate, petiole is to 2 cm or longer, the three leaf segments linear, 10 cm long, acute, glossy and bright green above, pale green beneath. Its flowers are small in terminal panicles. The fruit is small, rounded in clusters. It was recently introduced to the counry, and is popular as a hedge plant. Propagated by cuttings.