Euphorbia tirucalli (euphorbia)

Pictures

Picture	Title	Caption	Copyright
Title Mature tree of E. tirucalli Caption E. tirucalli at a site in Bondo District, western Kenya. The tree is 12 m tall and 10 cm in diameter. Note the white and black bark characteristics of mature trees. Copyright Phanuel O. Oballa	Mature tree of E. tirucalli	E. tirucalli at a site in Bondo District, western Kenya. The tree is 12 m tall and 10 cm in diameter. Note the white and black bark characteristics of mature trees.	Phanuel O. Oballa
Title General habit Caption A large unarmed shrub or small tree up to 5 m tall. Branchlets are slender, smooth and cylindrical. Small leaves can be observed appearing on young green branches. The tree is at Muguga, 25 km northwest of Nairobi, Kenya. Copyright Phanuel O. Oballa	General habit	A large unarmed shrub or small tree up to 5 m tall. Branchlets are slender, smooth and cylindrical. Small leaves can be observed appearing on young green branches. The tree is at Muguga, 25 km northwest of Nairobi, Kenya.	Phanuel O. Oballa
Title Windbreak Caption A windbreak of E. tirucalli in a farm at Kibos near Kisumu, Kenya. The row of trees is about 6 m high. Copyright Phanuel O. Oballa	Windbreak	A windbreak of E. tirucalli in a farm at Kibos near Kisumu, Kenya. The row of trees is about 6 m high.	Phanuel O. Oballa
Title Trimmed live hedge Caption A trimmed dense live hedge of E. tirucalli near Kariandusi on the Nairobi - Nakuru road, Kenya. The acacia thorns on the hedge are added to further deter penetration by intruders. Copyright Phanuel O. Oballa	Trimmed live hedge	A trimmed dense live hedge of E. tirucalli near Kariandusi on the Nairobi - Nakuru road, Kenya. The acacia thorns on the hedge are added to further deter penetration by intruders.	Phanuel O. Oballa

Identity

Preferred Scientific Name

• Euphorbia tirucalli L.

Preferred Common Name

• euphorbia

Other Scientific Names

• Arthrothamnus tirucalli (L.) Klotzsch & Garcke
• Euphorbia geayi Constantin & Gallaud
• Euphorbia laro Drake
• Euphorbia media N. E. Br.
• Euphorbia rhipsalioides Lem.
• Euphorbia rhipsaloides Willd.
• Euphorbia scoparia N. E. Br.
• Euphorbia suareziana Croizat
• Euphorbia tirucalli var. rhipsaloides (Willd.) Chev.

International Common Names

• English: finger tree; milk-bush; pench tree; pencil tree; rubber euphorbia; rubber hedge
• Spanish: aveloz; consuelda
• French: euphorbe antivenerien
• Portuguese: almeidinha

Local Common Names

• Brazil: avelós
• Cuba: disciplinilla
• Dominican Republic: alfabeto chino; antena; esquelito; palito
• East Africa: mtupa mwitu; utupa
• Germany: Milchbusch; Wolfsmilch, Finger-
• Gujarat: thor dandalio
• India: Indian tree spurge; konpal; konpalsehnd; sehund; thuar; thuhar
• Kenya: anno; asubgwa; kariaria; ojuok; ol-oile; shikhoni; utudi
• Lesser Antilles: coral cactus; wishbone cactus
• Rwanda: umuyenzi
• Tamil Nadu: chemedu; kada jemudu; kalli; tirukalli
• West Bengal: lankasij; latadoana

EPPO code

• EPHTI (Euphorbia tirucalli)

Taxonomic Tree

• Domain: Eukaryota
•     Kingdom: Plantae
•         Phylum: Spermatophyta
•             Subphylum: Angiospermae
•                 Class: Dicotyledonae
•                     Order: Euphorbiales
•                         Family: Euphorbiaceae
•                             Genus: Euphorbia
•                                 Species: Euphorbia tirucalli

Notes on Taxonomy and Nomenclature

Distribution Table

The distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available. When several references are cited, they may give conflicting information on the status. Further details may be available for individual references in the Distribution Table Details section which can be selected by going to Generate Report.

Air Temperature

Rainfall

Rain Regime

Soil Tolerances

Soil drainage

• free

Soil reaction

• neutral

Soil texture

• light
• medium

Special soil tolerances

• infertile
• shallow

Wood Products

References

Areekul S, Sinchaisri P, Tigvatananon S, 1987. Effects of Thai plant extracts on the Oriental fruit fly. Kasetsart Journal, Natural Sciences, 21(4):395-407

Beentje HJ, 1994. Kenya trees, shrubs and lianas. Nairobi, Kenya: Majestic Printing Works Ltd.

Carlowitz PGvon, Wolf GV, 1991. Potential and limitations of natural repellents against early destructive browsing by livestock and game. Agroforestry Systems, 16(1):33-40; [Also available as ICRAF Reprint No. 91].

CSIR, 1969. The Wealth of India. Raw Materials. Vol. 8. New Delhi, India: Publication and Information Directorate. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, India: 214-215.

Dale IR, Greenway PJ, 1961. Kenya trees and shrubs. Nairobi, Kenya: Buchanan's Kenya Estates Ltd. and London, UK: Hatchards.

Duke JA, 1983. Handbook of Energy Crops. Unpublished. Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA: Centre for New Crops and Plant Products. World Wide Web page at http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/Indices/index_ab.html.

Egli A, Kalinganire A, 1988. Trees and shrubs for agroforestry in Rwanda. [Les arbres et arbustes agroforestiers au Rwanda.]. Butare, Rwanda: Institut de Sciences Agronomiques du Rwanda.

Hall DO, 1985. Plant hydrocarbon resources in arid and semi-arid lands. In: Wickens GE, Gordin JR, Field DV, eds. Kew International Conference on Economic Plants for Arid Lands, Kew, UK, 369-384.

International Centre for Research in Agroforestry, 1992. A selection of useful trees and shrubs for Kenya: notes on their identification, propagation and management for use by agricultural and pastoral communities. 226 pp.; 25 ref.

Khan AQ, Ahmed Z, Kazmi NH, Malik A, Afza N, 1988. The structure and absolute configuration of cyclotirucanenol, a new triterpene from Euphorbia tirucalli Linn. Zeitschrift fur Naturforschung, Section B, Chemical Sciences, 43(8):1059-1062.

Khan AQ, Kazmi SNH, Ahmed Z, Malik A, 1989. Euphorcinol: a new pentacyclic triterpene from Euphorbia tirucalli. Planta Medica, 55(3):290-291.

Kulkarni DK, Kumbhojkar MS, Nipunage DS, 1990. Note on fish stupefying plants from western Maharashtra. Indian Forester, 116(4):331-333.

Lynn KR, Clevette Radford NA, 1988. Proteases of Euphorbiaceae. Phytochemistry, 27(1):45-50.

Mabberley DJ, 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants. Ed. 2: xvi + 858 pp. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press

Noad TC, Birnie A, 1989. Trees in Kenya. Nairobi, Kenya: General Printers Ltd.

Oviedo Prieto R, Herrera Oliver P, Caluff MG, et al., 2012. National list of invasive and potentially invasive plants in the Republic of Cuba - 2011. (Lista nacional de especies de plantas invasoras y potencialmente invasoras en la República de Cuba - 2011). Bissea: Boletín sobre Conservación de Plantas del Jardín Botánico Nacional de Cuba, 6(Special Issue 1):22-96.

Palgrave CK, 1977. Trees of southern Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: C. Struik Publishers.

Roussel J, 1995. Pépinières et plantations forestières en Afrique tropicale sèche [Forest nurseries and forest plantations in dry tropical Africa]. Dakar, Senegal: Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles (ISRA). Published in association with CIRAD (France).

Suhaila Mohamed, Sizama Saka, El-Sharkawy SH, Ali AM, Sepiah Muid, 1996. Antimycotic screening of 58 Malaysian plants against plant pathogens. Pesticide Science, 47(3):259-264; 28 ref.

Watt JM, Breyer-Brandwijk MG, 1962. The medicinal and poisonous plants of southern and eastern Africa. 2nd ed. (rev.) 1962. Edinburgh, UK: E.& S. Livingstone Ltd.

Webb DB, Wood PJ, Smith JP, Henman GS, 1984. A guide to species selection for tropical and sub-tropical plantations. Tropical Forestry Papers, No. 15. Oxford, UK: Commonwealth Forestry Institute, University of Oxford.

Distribution Maps

• = Present, no further details
• = Evidence of pathogen
• = Widespread
• = Last reported
• = Localised
• = Presence unconfirmed
• = Confined and subject to quarantine
• = See regional map for distribution within the country
• = Occasional or few reports

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