This Euphorbia mauritanica bush in the western Little Karoo near Barrydale has much to show for its seasonal reproductive efforts up to October. Clusters of well-formed fruits ring most tips of the numerous, base-branched, erect pencil-stems.

The surrounding vegetation is largely small-leaved, while E. mauritanica is a stem succulent bearing only ephemeral leaves. These stems provide a different solution in low moisture lifestyles. While the leaves are short-lived, there are no spines on this Euphorbia, unlike so many of the other South African species (Smith, et al, 2017; Frandsen, 2017; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015).