Evolution of Knowledge About the Euphorbiaceae Juss. Family: from Ancient Treatises to Modern Research

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive historical, cultural, religious, and scientific study of plants of the Euphorbiaceae Juss. (Springs) family from the earliest written mentions on Sumerian tablets, in Egyptian medical papyri, and in ancient texts, including Dioscorides, Theophrastus, and Hippocrates, to sacred books such as the Bible and the Koran, and to the works of researchers from the Middle Ages and modern times. It describes the advancement of the family’s systematics from utilitarian and morphological classifications to natural and evolutionary systems. The paper considers the contributions of heraldicians, gardeners, prominent researchers, and artists to the accumulation of floristic material, the creation of herbaria and botanical gardens, the production of illustrations and engravings, and the study of spurges’ medicinal and poisonous properties. The modern stage is characterized by phylogenetic and molecular studies that have clarified the classification and intrageneric relationships of plants in the Euphorbiaceae family. The 20th century marked a breakthrough in chemical, physiological, and clinical studies, which allowed the establishment of the qualitative and quantitative composition of biologically active components of these plants, the introduction of methods for stabilizing their particularly labile components, and the fostering of their cultivation and industrial use. The article concludes that the centuries-old scientific school created a sound knowledge base on the morphology and biochemistry of Euphorbiaceae plants and revealed broad prospects for their practical use in modern medicine, pharmacology, industry, energy, and landscape design.