Euphorbia esculenta

Native to the south-central Cape region of South Africa, this low succulent subshrub has a thick central stem and numerous spreading, cylindrical branches. The gray-green branches are slightly bumpy and bear minute leaves. Small flower cups form near the branch tips, with reddish to purple glands embedded in woolly hairs. Its compact, many-branched growth gives the plant a medusa-like appearance, with the short central stem partly concealed by the radiating shoots. The milky sap can irritate skin and eyes, and the plant is harmful if eaten. Photographed in Florida.