Euphorbia dendroides
Encyclopedia
Euphorbia dendroides, also known as Tree Spurge, is a small tree
of the Euphorbiaceae
family that grows in semi-arid
and mediterranean climate
s.
It has a wide distribution in the Mediterranean Basin
, from the Iberian Peninsula
to Egypt
. This plant is sensitive to frost, so it only grows on protected and sunny mountainsides in hilly areas. It has been introduced to other countries out of its original range as an ornamental tree. This bush also has uses in traditional medicine; like many other species of genus Euphorbia its toxic white and sticky sap
has been used to treat skin excrecences, like cancers, tumors, and wart
s since ancient times.
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
of the Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae, the Spurge family are a large family of flowering plants with 300 genera and around 7,500 species. Most are herbs, but some, especially in the tropics, are also shrubs or trees. Some are succulent and resemble cacti....
family that grows in semi-arid
Semi-arid
A semi-arid climate or steppe climate describes climatic regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not extremely...
and mediterranean climate
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
s.
It has a wide distribution in the Mediterranean Basin
Mediterranean Basin
In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin refers to the lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have a Mediterranean climate, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers, which supports characteristic Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub vegetation...
, from the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. This plant is sensitive to frost, so it only grows on protected and sunny mountainsides in hilly areas. It has been introduced to other countries out of its original range as an ornamental tree. This bush also has uses in traditional medicine; like many other species of genus Euphorbia its toxic white and sticky sap
Sap
Sap may refer to:* Plant sap, the fluid transported in xylem cells or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant* Sap , a village in the Dunajská Streda District of Slovakia...
has been used to treat skin excrecences, like cancers, tumors, and wart
Wart
A wart is generally a small, rough growth, typically on a human’s hands or feet but often other locations, that can resemble a cauliflower or a solid blister. They are caused by a viral infection, specifically by human papillomavirus 2 and 7. There are as many as 10 varieties of warts, the most...
s since ancient times.