The Euphorbiaceae, in common English sometimes called "euphorbias", which is also the name of a genus in the family, is a large family, the spurge 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. The family contains a large variety of phytotoxins (toxic substances produced by plants), mainly diterpene esters, alkaloids, glycosides, and ricin-type toxins.