Family: Euphorbiaceae Scientific name: Euphorbia paralias Description: Plant Form Erect perennial herb. Size Up to 1 m tall. Stem Upright, fleshy 2-5 cm thick,bluish green with milky sap. Die off after flowering. Leaves Small, oblong to oval shaped, 5-30 mm long, thick and hairless, turn reddish with age. Densely overlapping on stem. Flowers Tiny, yellowish green, crescent shaped in small cup-shaped organs. Clustered at the tip of branches. Fruit and Seeds Capsule 3-5 mm long with three egg shaped seeds, in large green stalked ovary. Habitat Dunes, beaches, estuaries, coastal grasslands and herbfields. Distinguishing Features Can look similar to other spurges, but distinguished by growing location and somewhat fleshy leaves. Impacts Colonises and dominates dune ecosystems, limiting shorebird nesting sites. Toxic to humans.