Euphorbia Monteiroi Euphorbiaceae

Euphorbia monteiroi is a perennial, succulent herb or shrubs to 1 m (usually less than 30 cm tall). This species is unique in several ways, it has a swollen "cabbage stump" stem from a woody rootstock. The leaves on this basal part are long and thin. After rain, the tuberculate stem produces a crown of thin, leafy, deciduous inflorescences with a small dark-red flower on the tips. The long peduncles (stems of the inflorescences) eventually wither and persist, as spines for several seasons, curving over the top of the plant and form a useful canopy from the burning sun.

The flowers are borne on long, thin branches with leaves which gradually become shorter. The roots are occasionally rhizomatous, branching below ground to form spreading plants. A white latex is exuded from points of injury anywhere on the plant.