A young, strong Euphorbia clandestina plant may in season produce a long, bulging new growth section at the stem top, covered in more (and bigger) leaves than often seen, as this garden plant in the Little Karoo is doing.

The blue-green leaves are aligned like the hairs of a brush, the short, yellow-green cyathia hidden among the leaves during October, albeit not very effectively. Leaf margins are slightly upturned, creating a shallow channel along the length of each leaf (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; www.plantzafrica.com).