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The Caper spurge (Euphorbia lathyris) belongs to Euphorbiaceae (the Spurge family). It is a biennial herb that is native to southern Europe, northwest Africa, and eastward through southwest Asia to western China. The stem is erect, glaucous blue-green and growing up to 1.5 m tall. The leaves are arranged in decussate opposite pairs, and are lanceolate, glaucous blue-green with a waxy texture. The green to yellow-green flowers with no petals bloom in spring. The fruits are green globose capsules and ripening brown or gray in summer. The seeds and stems are poisonous. It is called "續随子" (xu sui zi) in Chinese.
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