Description of the family:
Dioecious or monoecious herbs, shrubs or trees, sometimes succulent, spiny or unarmed, sometimes with milky latex. Hairs 0, simple, stellate or stinging. Stipules present or 0. Leaves alternate, rarely opposite or in whorls, usually simple, less often lobed or compound. Glands sometimes present near the apex of the petiole and base of lamina. Inflorescences various, sometimes in cyathia. Flowers unisexual, usually actinomorphic and very small. Calyx usually of 3-6 lobes or free sepals. Corolla with 3-6 free or ± united petals or 0. Disk present or 0. Stamens 3-many. Ovary superior, 1-4(-20)-locular, most commonly 3-locular. Styles (1-)3(-20). Fruit usually splitting into three 2-valved cocci, less often indehiscent. Seeds 1-2 per loculus, with or without a caruncle.

Comment:
According to the most recent taxonomic research by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG-III), the traditional concepts of Euphorbiaceae were no longer found satisfactory. Many genera, formerly included in this family, have therefore now been placed in separate families.

The genera formerly making up the subfamily Phyllanthoideae are now placed in Phyllanthaceae, with the exception of

Drypetes, which has been placed in the small family Putranjivaceae;

The genus Clutia has been placed in the small family Peraceae.

Worldwide:
313 genera and 8,100 species, cosmopolitan.

Zimbabwe:
38 genera and 169 taxa.

  • Acalypha L.
  • Adenocline Turcz.
  • Alchornea Sw.
  • Aleurites J.R. Forst. & G. Forst.
  • Androstachys Prain
  • Argomuellera Pax
  • Caperonia A.St.-Hil.
  • Cephalocroton Hochst.
  • Chrozophora Neck. ex A. Juss.
  • Croton L.
  • Dalechampia Plum. ex L.
  • Erythrococca Benth.
  • Euphorbia L.
  • Excoecaria L.
  • Homalanthus A. Juss.
  • Jatropha L.
  • Leidesia Müll. Arg.
  • Macaranga Thouars
  • Mallotus Lour.
  • Manihot Mill.
  • Maprounea Aubl.
  • Micrococca Benth.
  • Monadenium Pax
  • Necepsia Prain
  • Neoboutonia Müll. Arg.
  • Neoholstia Rauschert
  • Pterococcus Hassk.
  • Ricinus L.
  • Schinziophyton Hutch. ex Radcl.-Sm.
  • Sclerocroton Hochst.
  • Shirakiopsis Esser
  • Spirostachys Sond.
  • Suregada Roxb. ex Rottler
  • Synadenium Boiss.
  • Tannodia Baill.
  • Tragia L.
  • Tragiella Pax & K. Hoffm.
  • Vernicia Lour.