Euphorbia tubiglans | Caudiciform Euphorbia
€21,20
🌱 Morphology
It looks like a small plant sculpture that decided to hide its greatest treasure underground. From a thick caudex, resembling a small turnip root, emerges a narrow neck from which several blue-green, short, and perfectly aligned stems sprout. Everything about it seems designed for efficiency: few branches, no leaves, and no unnecessary structure. And yet, when it blooms, it hides a tiny and extraordinary surprise inside its cyathia.
It is a succulent, dwarf, caudiciform Euphorbia with a thick subterranean storage organ that can reach about 8.5 cm in length and 4–4.5 cm in thickness, accompanied by a deep taproot. From a very narrow neck, usually 2–5 erect, cylindrical, and unbranched stems emerge, up to about 8 cm in height in the wild and approximately 1.5–2 cm in diameter. They feature 5–6 longitudinal ribs softly toothed by small tubercles and a bluish-green epidermis covered in a fine waxy pruina. It is a thornless species. Specimens grown from seed develop the characteristic caudex; cuttings may lose this architecture and produce more elongated stems.
🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
It is native to the Cape provinces in South Africa, especially the Little Karoo and parts of the Eastern and Western Cape. It grows in open karroid scrubland, on rocky slopes and plains, or in loose sandy soils, often protected among other succulents and small shrubs. It belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family. Kew currently recognizes Euphorbia tubiglans as an accepted species; Euphorbia jansenvillensis is considered a synonym.
❄️ Temperature — USDA Zone 9b–11b
It tolerates minimum temperatures down to −4 ºC according to references placing it in USDA 9b, always in dry conditions, with well-acclimated specimens, and during brief episodes. In low temperatures, it is recommended to keep the caudex completely dry and avoid prolonged frost.
☀️ Lighting
During active growth, intense lighting is recommended, approximately 18–25 mol/m²/day of DLI PAR. It can be grown in full sun after progressive acclimation; high light levels promote compact stem development and maintain its characteristic bluish-green hue.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter dormancy. During the active period, it is recommended to water abundantly and allow the substrate to dry completely before watering again. As it enters dormancy, water supply is progressively reduced until it is kept practically dry throughout the winter. The caudex acts as a storage organ and tolerates prolonged periods of drought.
🌸 Flowering
It is a dioecious species, with separate male and female plants. The small cyathia appear on reddish peduncles of about 2 cm and feature whitish lobes and characteristic red nectar glands that fold laterally to form a tube. This peculiar structure is precisely what gives the species its name: tubiglans, "with tubular glands." Flowering occurs mainly during the spring and summer.
🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a specific fertilizer for succulents is recommended, with a high content of assimilable calcium, such as Desert CHOICE® Succulents, applied once a month when watering.
This is an inimitable xerophytic plant grown in Madrid in a high-tech square pot with substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi.
📏 Xerophytic plant in 9 x 9 x 9.5 cm and 14 x 14 x 14 cm green pot (S and M)
📐 Approximate plant height: 13 cm.
* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the sent specimen may vary slightly from the product image. The photo description specifies the plant's measurements, but this can also vary slightly because it is a living being! Each of the Desert CITY plants has unique characteristics.
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