宽叶大戟 kuan ye da ji

Herbs, perennial, erect, (30-)60-90(-100) cm tall, pale green. Root terete, brown, 15-30 cm × 5-7 mm thick. Stems single or few branched basally, 5-7 mm thick, upper parts many branched, smooth and glabrous; sterile stems present. Leaves alternate; stipules absent; basal scale-leaves many; petiole almost absent; leaf blade broadly elliptic, (2-)4-6.5 × (1-)2-3 cm, base subrounded or cuneate, margin entire [or crenulose at apex], apex rounded; midrib prominent abaxially, lateral veins 11-15 pairs; leaves on sterile branches petiolate, linear-spatulate, 2-4.5 × 0.7-1.5 cm. Inflorescence a terminal pseudumbel, usually also with slender, long pedunculate dichasial cymes from subterminal axils; primary involucral leaves 6-10(-17), similar to normal leaves but smaller, primary rays 6-10(-16), 3-5 cm; cymes twice-forked; cyathophylls 2, ovate-rounded, triangular-ovate, or rounded, 1-1.5 × 1-2 cm, base subtruncate, apex rounded or subrounded. Cyathium stipe short; involucre campanulate, 2-2.5 × 1.5-2 mm, glabrous, lobes ovate-triangular, pilose inside; glands 4, pale brown or brown, crescent-shaped, apex 2-horned, horns obtuse. Bracteoles linear, lacerate. Male flowers many. Female flower: ovary exserted from cup, smooth, glabrous; styles free, persistent; style arms 2-lobed. Capsule ovoid-globose, 4-4.5 × ca. 4 mm, with 3 vertical furrows. Seeds ovoid, 2.5-3 × 1.5-2 mm, yellow-brown; caruncle present, sessile. Fl. and fr. May-Sep.

Valleys, meadows, forests, scrub margins; 1000-1500 m. Xinjiang (Ili He valley, Tacheng) [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia (Siberia), Tajikistan].

Euphorbia latifolia is similar to E. esula but differs in having broader, elliptic leaves, pedunculate cyathia, glands with obtuse horns, and seeds with differently colored caruncles.