Euphorbia ingens
Euphorbia ingens
Safety & Hazards
The latex is very toxic, causing intense irritation and blistering to the skin and mucous membranes. If the latex comes into contact with the eyes, it causes temporary or even permanent blindness[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. A bundle of grass is soaked in the latex and then thrown into water as a fish poison[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. Different concentrations of latex were used in mortality tests with several aquatic animals. The latex was found to be a short-lived and effective fish poison. Within 12 hours all the fish and half the frogs died, whereas crabs and snails appeared not to suffer any detrimental effects. The poison degraded and became harmless to fish within 48 hours[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. The flowers of this species, and several other tree-sized Euphorbia species, produce an abundance of nectar, but the honey, known as ‘noors honey’, causes a burning sensation in the mouth, which is intensified by drinking water[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ].
Botanical Description
Euphorbia ingens is a spiny, evergreen, succulent tree with a short trunk, usually growing up to 12 metres tall, exceptionally to 15 metres. It has an abundant latex; the bole is stout; the bark grey and roughly fissured; the branches persistent from around 3 metres upwards, almost erect, rebranching, fand orming a large, broadly rounded crown[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. The leaves are rudimentary and ephemeral, most photosynthesis being carried out by the almost spine-free, green, cactus-like stems[ 295 Title PlantZAfrica.com Publication Author Website http://www.plantzafrica.com Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent site giving detailed descriptions and uses of many S. African plants. , 328 Title African Flowering Plants Database Publication Author Website http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/recherche.php Publisher Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques. Year 0 ISBN Description Contains information on over 150,000 plant names (including synonyms) giving a description and habitat, plus a distribution map. , 710 Title Tropical Flowering Plants. A Guide to Identification and Cultivation. Publication Author Llamas K.A. Publisher Timber Press; Oregon. Year 2003 ISBN 0-88192-585-3 Description A terse guide for the gardener to almost 1,500 species of ornamental tropical plants with brief details on their cultivation and, usually, a small photograph of good quality. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine, and occasionally for its wood. It is planted as an ornamental in succulent gardens or rock gardens in South Africa and the United States[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ].