Euphorbiaceae, the
spurge family, in common English sometimes called
"euphorbias", which is also the name of a
genus in the family, is a large family of
flowering plants with about 300 genera and 7,500 species. Most spurges are
herbs, but some, especially in the
tropics, are
shrubs or
trees. Some are
succulent and resemble
cacti because of convergent evolution. Laypersons may refer to euphorbias having a growth form and succulence similar to cacti as being "cactuses".