Caper Spurge - Euphorbia lathyris

Medium to tall, hairless, erect, often bluish green plant to 1.5 metres. Leaves opposite, linear to oblong, untoothed and unstalked. Bracts oval-triangular, pointed, bright green. Umbels with 2 to 6 main rays, capsule 13 to 17 mm smooth.

Disturbed ground and waste places, gardens.

June and July.

Biennial.

Casual or established throughout Britain as far north as southern Scotland scarce in Wales.

Occasional but probably increasing in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 4 of the 617 tetrads.

In the current checklist (Jeeves, 2011) it is listed as Alien (archaeophyte); scarce

It is on the VC55 Rare Plant Register