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Perennial of the Euphorbiaceae family, this subspecies is native to northwestern Turkey, where it grows in light undergrowth and shaded forest edges. It is distinctly different from the type species due to its marked stoloniferous behavior, allowing it to quickly colonize large areas, even in difficult conditions.
It reaches 40 to 60 cm in height and forms dense, spreading clumps, consisting of rosettes of evergreen, oblong to spatulate leaves, very dark green, almost glossy, gathered in regular crowns at the top of the stems. This dark and lustrous foliage, visible all year round, is one of the plant's most distinctive features.
The cyathia, surrounded by bright yellow-green to chartreuse bracts, are grouped in large terminal umbels that illuminate the clump at the time of flowering. The contrast between these bright inflorescences and the dark foliage is particularly striking.
In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from March to May. In cultivation, it can start flowering as early as late February depending on the climate.
Remarkably tolerant of dry shade and poor soils, it is one of the few spurges capable of thriving under dense-leaved trees. It spreads by stolons and can become invasive in gardens. Like all spurges, its white latex is irritating; any handling requires caution.