Euphorbia balsamifera
Euphorbia balsamifera
Safety & Hazards
The plant, and more specifically the latex, are generally reported to be toxic[ 332 Title The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Publication Author Burkil. H. M. Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 1985 - 2004 ISBN Description Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/ ]. The latex is known to be dangerous to the eyes and the plant has been used for criminal purposes, in ordeal-poisons and in arrow-poisons[ 332 Title The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Publication Author Burkil. H. M. Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 1985 - 2004 ISBN Description Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/ ]. However, there are reports of consumption by people, and of people feeding their livestock with this plant. In a superstitious sense it is fed to camels in the Sahara as the lichen commonly covering the bark is said to enable them to see by night. The Fula of N Nigeria sometimes feed the latex to their cattle and other stock to promote fertility and to increase their milk flow. Superstition or no, this can hardly be practiced without a sense of responsible husbandry. It must appear that the toxicity of the plant needs examination in its edaphic and phenological context[ 332 Title The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Publication Author Burkil. H. M. Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 1985 - 2004 ISBN Description Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/ ].
Botanical Description
Euphorbia balsamifera is a semi-succulent shrub, much branched from the base and growing from 0.7 - 5 metres tall. Often deciduous, in very favorable situations it can be evergreen[ 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. , 332 Title The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Publication Author Burkil. H. M. Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 1985 - 2004 ISBN Description Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/ , 774 Title Trees and Shrubs of the Sahel. Their Characteristics and Uses. Publication Author von Maydell H. Publisher Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit; Germany Year 1990 ISBN 3-8236-1198-4 Description A well-researched book, usually with more than one photograph of each species and good information on the plant and its uses. ]. The stem can be up to 15cm in diameter[ 385 Title Bihrmann's Caudiciforms Publication Author Website http://www.bihrmann.com/caudiciforms/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An internet site giving information on caudiciform plants (plants with swollen stem bases such as the Baobab tree, cycads and many succulents). Excellent photos, usually of cultivated plants in pots. ]. Although toxic, it is a popular local medicinal plant, sold in local markets, and is also occasionally used as a food. It is a widely used hedge plant in the drier areas of Africa, where it is also planted to stabilize the soil and is grown in villages for superstitious as well as medicinal purposes[ 332 Title The Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa. Publication Author Burkil. H. M. Publisher Royal Botanic Gardens; Kew. Year 1985 - 2004 ISBN Description Brief descriptions and details of the uses of over 4,000 plants. A superb, if terse, resource, it is also available electronically on the Web - see http://www.aluka.org/ ].