PBDB Taxon

Basic info	Taxonomic history	Classification	Included Taxa
Morphology	Ecology and taphonomy	External Literature Search	Age range and collections

Euphorbiaceae (spurge)

Angiospermae - Malpighiales - Euphorbiaceae

Taxonomy

Euphorbiaceae was named by Jussieu (1789). It is extant.

It was assigned to Centrospermae by Chandler (1963); to Dicotyledones by Chandler (1961), Chandler (1962) and Chandler (1964); to Dicotyledoneae by Ozaki (1974); to Geraniales by Knowlton (1919), MacGinitie (1941) and Hickey (1977); to Euphorbiales by Mabberley (2000); and to Malpighiales by Taylor et al. (2008) and The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2016).

Subtaxa

Acalypha, Acalyphoideae, Agrostistachyophyllum, Alchornea, Alchorneaephyllum, Alchorneites, Aleuriteophyllum, Aleurites, Aleuritoxylon, Amperea, Antidesma, Baccaurea, Baliospermophyllum, Baliospermum, Baloghiaephyllum, Beyeria, Bischofinium, Bischofioxylon, Breynia, Bridelia, Bridelioxylon, Cephalomappa, Cleistanthus, Codiaephyllum, Croton, Crotonoideae, Crotonophyllum, Drypetes, Euphorbia, Euphorbiocarpon, Euphorbiofolium, Euphorbioides, Euphorbiophloios, Euphorbiophyllum, Euphorbiospermum, Euphorbiotheca, Euphorbioxylon, Euphorbocarpum, Excoecaria, Glochidion, Heveoxylon, Hippomaneoidea, Homonoia, Limalbocarpon, Macaranga, Macarangaephyllum, Mallotophyllum, Mallotoxylon, Mallotus, Omalanthus, Palaeowetherellia, Phyllanthinium, Phyllanthoideae, Phyllanthus (syn. Emblica), Piranheoxylon, Pseudolachnostyloxylon, Putranjivoxylon, Sapium, Securinegoxylon, Stillingia, Tithymalus, Trewia, Tricolporopollenites, Wetherellia, Xylophyllites

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1789	Euphorbiaceae Jussieu pp. 384-385
1919	Euphorbiaceae Knowlton
1941	Euphorbiaceae MacGinitie
1961	Euphorbiaceae Chandler p. 101
1962	Euphorbiaceae Chandler p. 80
1963	Euphorbiaceae Chandler p. 96
1964	Euphorbiaceae Chandler p. 117
1974	Euphorbiaceae Ozaki
1977	Euphorbiaceae Hickey
2000	Euphorbiaceae Mabberley
2008	Euphorbiaceae Taylor et al. p. 1029
2016	Euphorbiaceae The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group pp. 6, 17

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Plantae
phylum	Spermatophyta
class	Angiospermae
—	Rosids
—	Eurosids

Rank	Name	Author
—	Fabid
order	Malpighiales
family	Euphorbiaceae
family	Euphorbiaceae

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Fm. Euphorbiaceae Jussieu 1789 [spurge]

show all | hide all

G. Acalypha Linnaeus 1753

†Acalypha aequalis MacGinitie 1941

†Acalypha myricina Cockerell 1909

Subfm. Acalyphoideae Asch

Tr. Acalypheae Dumortier 1829

G. †Malloranga Lee et al. 2010

†Malloranga fouldenensis Lee et al. 2010

G. †Tineafructus Wilf et al. 2023

†Tineafructus casamiquelae Wilf et al. 2023

G. †Agrostistachyophyllum Rasky 1966

†Agrostistachyophyllum tomharrisi Rasky 1966

G. Alchornea Swartz 1788

G. †Alchorneaephyllum Rasky 1966

†Alchorneaephyllum chandleri Rasky 1966

G. †Alchorneites Langeron 1899

†Alchorneites mallotoides Langeron 1899

G. †Aleuriteophyllum Rasky 1965

†Aleuriteophyllum nemejci Rasky 1965

G. Aleurites Forster and Forster 1775

†Aleurites fremontensis Berry 1930

G. †Aleuritoxylon Mädel 1962

†Aleuritoxylon miocenicum Watari 1956

G. Amperea Jussieu 1824

G. Antidesma Linnaeus 1753

†Antidesma miocenica Prasad and Dwivedi 2007

†Antidesma siwalica Prasad et al. 1999

G. Baccaurea Loureiro 1790

†Baccaurea miocenica Prasad et al. 2017

G. †Baliospermophyllum Rasky 1966

†Baliospermophyllum kraeuseli Rasky 1966

G. Baliospermum Blume 1826

G. †Baloghiaephyllum Rasky 1962

†Baloghiaephyllum miocenicum Ettingshausen 1962

G. Beyeria Miquel 1844

G. †Bischofinium Bande 1974

†Bischofinium deccanii Bande 1974

G. †Bischofioxylon Ramanujam 1960

G. Breynia Forster and Forster 1775

†Breynia prerhamnoides Awasthi and Prasad 1990

G. Bridelia Willdenow 1806

†Bridelia hanumanchattiensis Prasad et al. 2017

†Bridelia mioretusa Prasad and Pandey 2008

†Bridelia siwalica Prasad and Pandey 2008

Bridelia stipularis Linnaeus 1753

G. †Bridelioxylon Ramanujam 1956

†Bridelioxylon americanum Petriella 1972

†Bridelioxylon cuddalorense Ramanujam 1956

†Bridelioxylon kraeuselii Prakash 1959

†Bridelioxylon krauselii Prakash 1959

†Bridelioxylon miocenicum Ramanujam 1960

†Bridelioxylon mohgaonsis Upadhya and Patil 1977

G. Cephalomappa Baillon 1874

G. Cleistanthus Hooker 1779

†Cleistanthus suraikholaensis Prasad and Awasthi 1996

G. †Codiaephyllum Rasky 1966

†Codiaephyllum palaeovarigatum Rasky 1966

G. Croton Linnaeus 1753 [rushfoil]

Croton caudatus Geiseler 1807

†Croton furcatulum Cockerell 1909

†Croton teglis Varma 1968

G. †Crotonophyllum Velenovsky 1889

†Crotonophyllum appendiculatum Berry 1916

†Crotonophyllum cretaceum Velenovsky 1889

†Crotonophyllum eocenicum Berry 1916

†Crotonophyllum panduraeformis Berry 1914

G. Drypetes Vahl 1807

†Drypetes praelaterifolia Berry 1916

†Drypetes prekeyensis Berry 1916

G. Euphorbia Linnaeus 1753

†Euphorbia mohavensis Axelrod 1939

G. †Euphorbiocarpon Mehrotra et al. 1983

†Euphorbiocarpon drypeteoides Mehrotra et al. 1983

G. †Euphorbiofolium Kilpper 1960

†Euphorbiofolium hellbergi Kilpper 1960

G. †Euphorbioides Weber 1855

†Euphorbioides prisca Weber 1855

G. †Euphorbiophloios Langeron 1899

†Euphorbiophloios sezannensis Langeron 1899

G. †Euphorbiophyllum Ettingshausen 1853

†Euphorbiophyllum fayettensis Berry 1916

†Euphorbiophyllum stillingioides Ettingshausen 1853

G. †Euphorbiospermum Reid and Chandler 1933

†Euphorbiospermum ambiguum Reid and Chandler 1933

†Euphorbiospermum bognorense Chandler 1961

†Euphorbiospermum cooperi Chandler 1961

†Euphorbiospermum eocetiicum Reid and Chandler 1933

†Euphorbiospermum obliquum Reid and Chandler 1933

†Euphorbiospermum oecenicum Reid and Chandler 1933

†Euphorbiospermum punctatum Chandler 1962

†Euphorbiospermum subglobulare Chandler 1961

†Euphorbiospermum subovoideum Reid and Chandler 1933

†Euphorbiospermum venablesi Chandler 1961

G. †Euphorbiotheca Reid and Chandler 1933

Subg. †Euphorbiotheca (Andrachne) Linnaeus

†Euphorbiotheca (Andrachne) lakensis Chandler 1962

†Euphorbiotheca digitata Chandler 1962

†Euphorbiotheca gothii Collinson et al. 2012

†Euphorbiotheca mallotoides Lee et al. 2010

†Euphorbiotheca minima Chandler 1961

†Euphorbiotheca platysperma Chandler 1962

†Euphorbiotheca sheppeyensis Reid and Chandler 1933

†Euphorbiotheca tuberculata Chandler 1962

G. †Euphorbioxylon Felix 1887

†Euphorbioxylon sagarense Mahabale and Deshpande 1963

†Euphorbioxylon speciosum Felix 1887

Invalid names: Euphorbioxylon mallotoides Nambudiri 1968 [nomen nudum]

G. †Euphorbocarpum Knowlton 1917

†Euphorbocarpum richardsoni Knowlton 1917

G. Excoecaria Linnaeus 1759

Excoecaria agallocha Linnaeus 1759

†Excoecaria palaeocrenulata Awasthi and Prasad 1990

G. Glochidion Forster and Forster 1775 [cheese tree]

Glochidion harveyanum Domin 1927

†Glochidion miocenica Prasad 1994

G. †Heveoxylon Kruse 1954

†Heveoxylon microporosum Kruse 1954

G. †Hippomaneoidea Crepet and Daghlian 1982

G. Homonoia de Loureiro 1790

†Homonoia lanceolata Konomatsu and Awasthi 1999

†Homonoia mioriparia Antal and Prasad 1997

†Homonoia riparia Prasad 1994

G. †Limalbocarpon Nambudiri and Binda 1989

†Limalbocarpon readlynensis Nambudiri and Binda 1989

G. Macaranga Thouars 1806

Macaranga denticulata Blume 1826

†Macaranga kirkjohnsonii Wilf et al. 2023

†Macaranga siwalika Antal and Awasthi 1993

Macaranga tanarius Müller and Candolle 1886

G. †Macarangaephyllum Rasky 1965

†Macarangaephyllum palaeomonadrum Rasky 1965

G. †Mallotophyllum Rasky 1965

†Mallotophyllum palaeomiquelianum Rasky 1965

G. †Mallotoxylon Lakhanpal and Dayal 1964

†Mallotoxylon assamicum Prakash and Tripathi 1975

†Mallotoxylon cleidionoides Roy and Ghosh 1982

†Mallotoxylon keriense Lakhanpal and Dayal 1964

G. Mallotus Loureiro 1790

†Mallotus kalimpongensis Antal and Awasthi 1993

Mallotus philippensis Lamarck 1786

†Mallotus prejaponicus Prasad et al. 2017

†Mallotus protojaponicus Ozaki 1974

†Mallotus riparius MacGinitie 1941

†Mallotus venkatachalai Prasad 1994

G. Omalanthus Jussieu 1824

G. †Palaeowetherellia Chandler 1954

†Palaeowetherellia schweinfurthi Heer 1876

G. †Phyllanthinium Ogura 1932

†Phyllanthinium pseudohobashiraishi Ogura 1932

G. Phyllanthus Linnaeus 1753

Phyllanthus emblica Linnaeus 1753

†Phyllanthus koilabasensis Prasad et al. 1999

†Phyllanthus mioreticulatus Prasad et al. 2004

†Phyllanthus palaeohirsutum Antal and Prasad 1996

†Phyllanthus palaeoreticulatus Prasad and Awasthi 1996

†Phyllanthus siwalica Prasad 1994

Invalid names: Emblica Gärtner 1790 [synonym]

G. †Piranheoxylon Grambast 1961

†Piranheoxylon stockmansi Grambast 1961

G. †Pseudolachnostyloxylon Gottwald 1969

†Pseudolachnostyloxylon weylandii Gottwald 1969

G. †Putranjivoxylon Ramanujam 1956

†Putranjivoxylon puratanam Ramanujam 1956

G. Sapium Browne 1756 [milktree]

G. †Securinegoxylon Maedel 1962

†Securinegoxylon biseriatum Maedel 1962

G. †Stillingia Garden

†Stillingia casca Hickey 1977

G. Tithymalus Adanson 1763

†Tithymalus phenacodorum Cockerell 1914

†Tithymalus willistoni Cockerell 1909

G. Trewia Linnaeus 1753

Trewia nudiflora Linnaeus 1753

G. †Tricolporopollenites Thomson and Pflug 1953

†Tricolporopollenites endobalteus McIntyre 1965

†Tricolporopollenites subtilis Brenner 1967

†Tricolporopollenites triangulus Groot 1961

†Tricolporopollenites viriosus Chmura 1973

G. †Wetherellia Bowerbank 1840

†Wetherellia dixoni Carruthers 1878

†Wetherellia marylandica Hollick 1901

†Wetherellia variabilis Bowerbank 1840

G. †Xylophyllites Massalongo 1858

†Xylophyllites pelasgica Massalongo 1858

Invalid names: Crotonoideae Burmeister 1837 [empty], Phyllanthoideae [empty]

Diagnosis

Reference	Diagnosis
The Angiosperm Phylogeny Group 2016	Also in Malpighiales, there is one newly recognized family, Peraceae, the potential need for which was discussed in APG III (2009), due to the position of Rafflesiaceae as sister to the rest of Euphorbiaceae, minus Pera Mutis and relatives (Davis et al., 2007). This family is now accepted here as Peraceae (Endress et al., 2013).

Measurements

No measurements are available

Diet:

"photoautotroph"p

Created:

2011-07-22 00:04:15

Modified:

2011-07-21 09:04:15

Source: p = phylum

Reference: Kiessling 2009

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Aptian to the top of the Holocene or 125.00000 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 113.0 Ma

Collections (415 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Oldest occurrences
Aptian - Albian	125.0 - 100.5	Peru (Loreto)	Tricolporopollenites maculosus (144299)
Albian - Aptian	113.0 - 113.0	Cote D'Ivoire (Abidjan)	Tricolporopollenites sp. 1 (137356)
Albian	113.0 - 100.5	Egypt (Western Desert)	Tricolporopollenites spp. (142204 142205)
Albian - Cenomanian	113.0 - 93.9	Nigeria (Maiduguri)	Tricolporopollenites sp., Tricolporopollenites spscl (139254 139255 139256 139257 139258 139259 139260 139263 139265 139266 139267 139268 139269 139271 139272 139273 139275 139277 139278 139279 139280)
Late/Upper Albian - Early/Lower Cenomanian	105.3 - 93.5	Senegal (Dakar)	Tricolporopollenites sp. 1 (137360)
Late/Upper Albian - Early/Lower Cenomanian	105.3 - 93.5	Israel (Southern Coastal Plain)	Tricolporopollenites sp. (141180 144145 144147)
Late/Upper Albian - Middle Cenomanian	105.3 - 93.5	Nigeria (Gambe)	Tricolporopollenites sp. S. 152 (144198)
Cenomanian	100.5 - 93.9	Cote D'Ivoire (Abidjan)	Tricolporopollenites sp. 1 (137355)
Senonian	100.5 - 66.0	Senegal (Dakar)	Tricolporopollenites sp. 4, Tricolporopollenites sp. 5, Tricolporopollenites sp. 3 (137363)
Early/Lower Cenomanian	99.6 - 93.5	Madagascar (Toliara)	Tricolporopollenites sp. (167942)
Early/Lower Cenomanian	99.6 - 93.5	Egypt (Western Desert)	Tricolporopollenites spp., Tricolporopollenites distinctus (142206 142207)
Late/Upper Cenomanian	99.6 - 93.5	Nigeria (Gambe)	Tricolporopollenites sp. S. 152 (144199)
Late/Upper Cenomanian	99.6 - 93.5	Senegal (Dakar)	Tricolporopollenites sp. 1 (137361)
Late/Upper Cenomanian	99.6 - 93.5	Egypt (Western Desert)	Tricolporopollenites spp., Tricolporopollenites distinctus (142208 142209)
Turonian	93.9 - 89.8	Nigeria (Gambe)	Tricolporopollenites sp. S. 152, Tricolporopollenites sp. S.Cl. 428 (144201)
Turonian	93.9 - 89.8	Egypt (Western Desert)	Tricolporopollenites distinctus (142215) Tricolporopollenites spp., Tricolporopollenites distinctus (142210 142211 142212 142213 142214)
Turonian	93.9 - 89.8	Senegal (Dakar)	Tricolporopollenites sp. 3 (137362)
Turonian - Maastrichtian	93.9 - 66.0	Cote D'Ivoire (Abidjan)	Tricolporopollenites sp. 1 (137357)
Campanian	83.6 - 72.1	USA (South Carolina)	Crotonophyllum panduneformis (210092) Crotonophyllum panduraeformis (210091 210094 210095)
Late/Upper Campanian	83.5 - 70.6	Antarctica	Tricolporopollenites sp. (150182)