 Euphorbias secrete a sticky, milky-white fluid with latex, but cacti do not.Individual flowers of euphorbias are usually tiny and nondescript (although structures around the individual flowers may not be), without petals and sepals, unlike cacti, which often have fantastically showy flowers.Euphorbias from desert habitats with growth forms similar to cacti have thorns, which are different from the spines of cacti.