Euphorbia tirucalli L.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Rd to Domboshawa, Chinamora CL

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Synonyms:
Common names:	Hejiyemukaka (Shona) Ingotsha (Ndebele) Rubber euphorbia (English) Rubber hedge plant (English) Rusungwe (Shona)
Frequency:	Frequent
Status:	Probably introduced, but a frequent relic of cultivation and sometimes naturalised.
Description:	Unarmed, succulent shrub to 5 m, or a small tree to 12 m, with brittle succulent branches which are often whorled, c.7 mm thick, green with fine longitudinal white striations. Leaves few, linear-lanceolate to narrowly obovate, fleshy, present only on new growth and quickly deciduous. Cymes 2-6, congested at apices of branchlets, forking 2-4-times, producing cyathia, these usually either all male or all female. Cyathium c.3 × 4 mm; glands to 1.5 × 2 mm, 5, subspherical to transversely elliptic, bright yellow; lobes c.0.5 mm, triangular. Capsule c.8 × 8.5 mm, subspherical, glabrescent, exserted on a tomentose pedicel. Seeds 3.5 × 2.8 mm, ovoid, smooth.
Notes:	Very commonly planted throughout the flora area, but especially in Communal Lands as a toxic, goat-resistant hedge.
Derivation of specific name:
Habitat:	Open woodland; very frequently planted and naturalising near habitation.
Altitude range: (metres)	Up to 1550 m (approx)
Flowering time:	Oct - Dec
Worldwide distribution:
Zimbabwe distribution:	N,W,C,E,S
Growth form:	ST
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects (whose larvae eat this species):
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Literature:

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Other sources of information about Euphorbia tirucalli:

Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Euphorbia tirucalli page
Flora of Mozambique: Euphorbia tirucalli
African Plant Database: Euphorbia tirucalli
Biodiversity Explorer (Biodiversity of southern Africa): Euphorbia tirucalli
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Euphorbia tirucalli
ePIC (electronic Plant Information Center): Euphorbia tirucalli
Flora Zambesiaca web site: Euphorbia tirucalli
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
GRIN (Germplasm Resources Information Network) taxonomy for plants report for Euphorbia tirucalli
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Euphorbia tirucalli
JSTOR Plant Science: Euphorbia tirucalli
Kew Herbarium catalogue: Euphorbia tirucalli
Tropicos: Euphorbia tirucalli
West African Plants database: Euphorbia tirucalli