Origin and Habitat: Euphorbia heptagona occur on the sides of kloofs and in the mountains of Ladismith and Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo and Prince Albert to the north of the Swartberg.

• Euphorbia heptagona L.
• Anthacantha desmetiana Lem.

• Euphorbia heptagona L.
• Anthacantha desmetiana Lem.
• Euphorbia morinii A.Berger

• Euphorbia heptagona var. dentata (A.Berger) A.C.White, R.A.Dyer & B.Sloane
• Euphorbia enopla var. dentata A.Berger

Description: Euphorbia heptagona is an old species described by Linnaeus just in 1753. Now the name 'heptagona' and is specifically applied to the large erect-stemmed, freely branched plants 60 to 120 cm in height and is not cushion-like. No less than 4 varieties (outside the typical) have been described on the strength of dentate angles, subsessile cyathia, cyme arrangement and greenish (not brown) spines; all of these could encompass the variability of a species which is, itself, very closely aligned with Euphorbia atrispinaSN|14279]]SN|33240]] and Euphorbia enoplaSN|14279]].
Taxinomic note: Described in 1828, Euphorbia atrispinaSN|33240]] is the oldest name for three spiny shrubs (The 'cushion' Euphorbia atrispinaSN|33240]], and the larger, bushy Euphorbia enoplaSN|14279]] and Euphorbia enoplaSN|33240]]SN|14279]]). All them are very similar and are difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish, while the varieties of Euphorbia heptagona are taxonomic nonsense.

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Doreen Court “Succulent Flora of Southern Africa” CRC Press, 01 June 2000