Euphorbia palustris

{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}

{{Speciesbox

|image = Drösinger Wald 02.jpg

|status = LC

|status_system = IUCN3.1

|status_ref = Kavak, S. (2014). Euphorbia palustris. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014: e.T19618301A19621151. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T19618301A19621151.en. Downloaded on 10 October 2018.

|genus = Euphorbia

|species = palustris

|authority = L.

|synonyms = {{species list

|Euphorbia brachiata |Jan [Invalid]

|Euphorbia palustris var. angustifolia |Pers.

|Euphorbia sauliana |Boreau ex Boiss.

|Galarhoeus palustris |(L.) Haw.

|Tithymalus fruticosus |Gilib. [Invalid]

|Tithymalus palustris |(L.) Garsault [Invalid],{{cite web|title=Euphorbia palustris L. is an accepted name|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-81302|website=23 March 2012|publisher=theplantlist.org|access-date=12 October 2017}}}}

}}

Euphorbia palustris, the marsh spurge or marsh euphorbia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Euphorbiaceae, native to marshland throughout much of mainland Europe and western Asia. It is an herbaceous perennial growing to {{convert|90|cm|0|abbr=on}} tall and wide, with narrow leaves turning red and yellow in autumn, and persistent, bright acid yellow flower-heads (cyathia), {{convert|15|cm|0|abbr=on}} across, in spring.{{cite book|title=RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants|year=2008|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|location=United Kingdom|isbn=978-1405332965|pages=1136}}

It was published and first described by Carl Linnaeus in his book, Species Plantarum on page 462 in 1753.{{Cite book|title=Euphorbiaceae Euphorbia palustris L.|volume=1|url=http://www.ipni.org/ipni/idPlantNameSearch.do?id=347635-1|publisher=ipni.org|access-date=12 October 2017}}

It prefers permanently moist conditions in full sun, hence the common name "marsh spurge" and the Latin specific epithet palustris, "of marshland".{{cite book|last=Harrison|first=Lorraine|title=RHS Latin for gardeners|year=2012|publisher=Mitchell Beazley|location=United Kingdom|isbn=9781845337315|pages=224}}Archibald William Smith {{google books|ahNMkgoNJ7IC|A Gardener's Handbook of Plant Names: Their Meanings and Origins|page=258}} It is thought to be an ideal plant for gardening because it has a different colour for almost all of the seasons.

Euphorbia palustris has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.{{cite web|title=Euphorbia palustris AGM|url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/7078/Euphorbia-palustris/Details |publisher=Royal Horticultural Society|access-date=25 June 2020}}{{cite web | url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017 | page = 38 | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | access-date = 25 February 2018}}

Like all euphorbias, all parts of the plant are toxic if ingested, and cut stems produce an irritant sticky sap.