Euphorbiaceae

Trees, shrubs, herbs or rarely climbers, monoecious or dioecious, sometimes with a milky latex. Leaves usually alternate, sometimes opposite, rarely whorled, simple, rarely compound or reduced to scales; stipules usually present although often small. Inflorescences mostly axillary cymes, sometimes arranged as bundles or in apparent racemes or spikes, or reduced to a single flower. Flowers small, usually regular, unisexual, often lacking sepals or petals; sepals and petals 4–6, but sometimes perianth not differentiated into sepals and petals. Male flowers with 1–many stamens; anthers 2-celled, dehiscing by longitudinal slits or sometimes by apical pores; rudimentary ovary sometimes present. Female flowers with ovary superior, usually 3-celled, ovules 1 or 2 per cell, placentation axile, styles usually 3, free or variously united, stigmas variable, usually papillose or laciniate, sometimes thick and entire; staminodes sometimes present; disc usually present below ovary. Fruit usually a 3-celled capsule or schizocarp, rarely a berry or drupe; seed usually with a leathery coat, often with a caruncle, endosperm fleshy or oily.