top of page

Flowers of Zihuatanejo

Asthma Plant

Euphorbia hirta

Flowers by Colour

-Plants (Kingdom Plantae)

-Vascular Plants (Phylum Tracheophyta)

-Flowering Plants (Subphylum Angiospermae)

-Dicots (Class Magnoliopsida)

-Nances, Willows, and Allies (Order Malpighiales)

-Spurge Family (Family Euphorbiaceae)

-Subfamily Euphorbioideae

-Tribe Euphorbieae

-Subtribe Euphorbiinae

-Spurges (Genus Euphorbia)

-Subgenus Chamaesyce

-Sandmats (Section Anisophyllum)

-Asthma Spurge (Euphorbia hirta)


The Asthma Plant (Euphorbia hirta) is a herbaceous plant belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family. It is commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions and is well-known for its medicinal properties. Stem: The stem is slender, hairy, and often reddish or purple in color. It contains a milky white latex that is characteristic of Euphorbia species. Flowers: Small, greenish or reddish flowers appear in dense clusters in leaf axils. Fruits: The fruit is a small, three-lobed capsule containing tiny seeds.

Description

• Euphorbia hirta, commonly known as asthma plant, garden spurge, or hairy spurge, is a small annual herb in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). It often grows close to the ground, with reddish, hairy stems and opposite, oblong leaves that have finely toothed margins and a reddish or purplish mark near the centre. Tiny flowers are clustered in dense, rounded groups in the leaf axils. When damaged, the plant releases a milky latex that may irritate the skin and eyes.

Range

• Euphorbia hirta is native to tropical regions of the Americas, although its original distribution is uncertain because it has been spread widely by human activity. It is now common throughout tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. It is established in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and the surrounding area.

Habitat

• Hairy spurge grows in warm, sunny environments, including roadsides, footpaths, lawns, gardens, agricultural fields, and other disturbed sites. It is especially common in compacted or bare ground and can grow in a range of soil conditions. It thrives during warm, rainy periods and often persists in areas frequently disturbed by people or animals.

bottom of page