The Euphorbiaceae or spurge family is a large mostly herbaceous family including about 240 genera and some 6000 species. It is fairly widespread from tropical regions of India, Southeast Asia, Africa and America, and non-tropical areas such as the Middle East, the Mediterranean, South Africa and the southern U.S. It is also an amazingly diverse family with species ranging from tiny ground-hugging plants to giant cactus-like succulents. The largest genus is the one that gives the family its name, Euphorbia, with around 2000 species. This genus was named for Euphorbus, the Greek physician of Juba II, King of Mauretania. This genus is characterized by an inflorescence called a cyathium, which is a flower cluster containing unisexual, apetalous male and female flowers. The leaves are mostly alternate and simple, but occasionally are palmately compound. Many family members contain a milky sap.