Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family, in common English sometimes called "euphorbias", which is also the name of a genus in the family, is a large family of  flowering plants with about 300 genera and 7,500 species. Most spurges are herbs, but some, especially in the tropics, are shrubs or trees. Some are succulent and resemble cacti because of convergent evolution. Laypersons may refer to euphorbias having a growth form and succulence similar to cacti as being "cactuses".