Euphorbia lacei
An evergreen spiny succulent resembling a cactus that grows as a shrub or small tree up to about 5 metres tall, with short-lived leaves and photosynthesizing green stems, used locally for medicinal purposes and as an ornamental hedge in Southeast Asia, and images illustrate its flowering phase, short-lived leaves, and ripening fruits.
Common Names
Flowering Tree
Summary
Euphorbia lacei is a spiny, evergreen succulent that resembles a cactus, growing as a shrub or small tree up to about 5 metres tall and often with a candelabra-like form. It is native to Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, and is cultivated for ornamental purposes and as a hedge, while also harvested from the wild for local medicinal uses.
The latex is poisonous. Medicinal uses include treating earache with the latex and applying pounded leaves as a poultice to boils. For propagation, both seeds and cuttings are used; cuttings root easily but must be dried in light shade for a few days before planting to prevent rot, and are best planted when the rainy season is about to end in well-drained soil. In agroforestry, the plant is sometimes grown in drier areas as a hedge, thanks to spiny stems that deter intruders.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
10 feet
Soil Type
Well-drained soil
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil
Foliage Color
Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Propagation Methods
Seeds and Cuttings
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Craib
- Publication
- Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1911: 456 (1911)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Malpighiales
- Family
- Euphorbiaceae
- Genus
- Euphorbia