Family: spurge family (Euphorbiaceae)
Flowering time: May–August
Size: 60–150 cm
Habitat: marsh meadows, willow carr, reedbeds, tall sedge, water margins
This stately spurge has characteristic inflorescences at the top of densely leaved stems. Narrow-lanceolate leaves with a heart-shaped base are glossy on the upper surface. As with other spurge species, these plants contain a milky sap – latex, which is poisonous and serves to defend against being eaten. The only recently confirmed habitat of the glossy spurge (Euphorbia lucida) in Slovenia is at the drying Cerknica Lake, where it thrives in small, dense stands. On Slovenia's Red List of endangered plants it is listed in the category of endangered species.
