Euphorbia susannae

Origin and Habitat: It is endemic to a few limited areas in little Karroo. Landsmith district, Cape Province, South Africa
Habitat: They grows in small population, sometime with only a few individual on very sandy and stony ground, often with white quartz on the surface. They are found either on open places or partially under the shade of small bushes. Most of the plants are cryptic (grows completely underground with only the tips of the stems above the ground level) while some grow totally above the ground and are shaped like a half-sphere or a cushion (like in cultivation).

Description: Small clumping or (rarely) solitary succulent, that forms nice hemispherical clumps up to 10 cm tall and 3o cm in diameter. It grows relatively fast for a small so small sized plant.
Stems: Prominently tubercled, harmless, green to dirty brown/green, 12 to 16 angled. It produces a host of branches from the central roundish base (caudex). It grows apically and upward of course, but the stems are dragged downward by contractile action, probably seated in the roots.
Leaves: Reduced to short bristles on the young stems.
Flowers: Green or brownish cyathias in the fall or spring.
Remarks: This species given rise to one of the of the top euphorbia hybrids: Euphorbia cv. Cocklebur ( Euphorbia susannae x Euphorbia bupleurifolia ). The stems are fat and globular like susannae while the leaves are bluish and channelled like bupleurifolia.