Euphorbia milii
Encyclopedia
Euphorbia milii is a woody, succulent species of Euphorbia native to Madagascar
. The species name commemorates Baron Milius, once governor of Réunion
, who introduced the species to France
in 1821. It is suspected that the species was introduced to the Middle East
in ancient times, and legend associates it with the crown of thorns
worn by Jesus
.
growing to 1.8m tall, with densely spiny stems, the straight, slender spines up to 3 cm long, which help it scramble over other plants. The leaves
are found mainly on new growth, and are obovate, up to 3.5 cm long and 1.5 cm broad. The flower
s are small, subtended by a pair of conspicuous petal-like bract
s, variably red, pink or white, up to 12 mm broad. The sap is moderately poisonous. Wat Phrik
in the Phitsanulok District
of Phitsanulok Province
, Thailand
claims to be the home of the world's tallest Christ plant.
have been described; some of these are treated as distinct species by some authors.
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. The species name commemorates Baron Milius, once governor of Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
, who introduced the species to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1821. It is suspected that the species was introduced to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
in ancient times, and legend associates it with the crown of thorns
Crown of Thorns
In Christianity, the Crown of Thorns, one of the instruments of the Passion, was woven of thorn branches and placed on Jesus Christ before his crucifixion...
worn by Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
.
Description
It is a succulent climbing shrubShrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
growing to 1.8m tall, with densely spiny stems, the straight, slender spines up to 3 cm long, which help it scramble over other plants. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are found mainly on new growth, and are obovate, up to 3.5 cm long and 1.5 cm broad. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are small, subtended by a pair of conspicuous petal-like bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
s, variably red, pink or white, up to 12 mm broad. The sap is moderately poisonous. Wat Phrik
Wat Phrik
Wat Phrik is a subdistrict in the Mueang Phitsanulok District of Phitsanulok Province, Thailand.-Geography:The topography of Wat Phrik is flat lowlands. The subdistrict is bordered to the north by Tha Pho, to the east by Bueng Phra to the south by Wang Nam Khu and Ngio Ngam, and to the west by...
in the Phitsanulok District
Amphoe Mueang Phitsanulok
Mueang Phitsanulok is the capital district of Phitsanulok Province, northern Thailand.- History :Mueang Phitsanulok was the first class city in the northern part of Ayutthaya kingdom till the end of the kingdom in 1767. Also in the reign of King Taksin the Great, Phitsanulok was the first class...
of Phitsanulok Province
Phitsanulok Province
Phitsanulok is a provinces of Thailand, located in the north. Neighboring provinces are Loei, Phetchabun, Phichit, Kamphaeng Phet, Sukhothai, Uttaradit. In the north-east it also has a short border with Xaignabouli of Laos....
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
claims to be the home of the world's tallest Christ plant.
Varieties
It is a variable species, and several varietiesVariety (biology)
In botanical nomenclature, variety is a taxonomic rank below that of species: as such, it gets a three-part infraspecific name....
have been described; some of these are treated as distinct species by some authors.
- Euphorbia milii var. bevilaniensis (Croizat) Ursch & LeandriJacques Désiré LeandriJacques Désiré Leandri, born 1903 in Corsica, died 1982, was a French botanist and mycologist.Leandri is remembered for botanical excursions in North Africa and Madagascar. He collected plants for scientific study from the years 1922 to 1980...
1955 - Euphorbia milii var. hislopii (N.E.Br.) Ursch & LeandriJacques Désiré LeandriJacques Désiré Leandri, born 1903 in Corsica, died 1982, was a French botanist and mycologist.Leandri is remembered for botanical excursions in North Africa and Madagascar. He collected plants for scientific study from the years 1922 to 1980...
1955 (syn. E. hislopii) - Euphorbia milii var. imperatae (LeandriJacques Désiré LeandriJacques Désiré Leandri, born 1903 in Corsica, died 1982, was a French botanist and mycologist.Leandri is remembered for botanical excursions in North Africa and Madagascar. He collected plants for scientific study from the years 1922 to 1980...
) Ursch & LeandriJacques Désiré LeandriJacques Désiré Leandri, born 1903 in Corsica, died 1982, was a French botanist and mycologist.Leandri is remembered for botanical excursions in North Africa and Madagascar. He collected plants for scientific study from the years 1922 to 1980...
1955 - Euphorbia milii var. longifolia RauhWerner RauhWerner Rauh was an internationally renowned German botanist and author.-Biography:Born in the town of Niemegk in Brandenburg, Rauh studied at the University of Halle under the famous morphologist Wilhelm Troll and received his doctorate in 1937 before coming to the University of Heidelberg two...
1967 - Euphorbia milii var. milii
- Euphorbia milii var. roseana Marn.-Lap. 1962
- Euphorbia milii var. splendensEuphorbia milii var. splendensEuphorbia milii var. splendens is a variety of the species Euphorbia milii.-References:* Ursch & Leandri, Mém. Inst. Sci. Madagascar, Sér. B, Biol. Vég. 5: 148 ....
(BojerWenceslas BojerWenceslas Bojer was a notable naturalist and botanist.He was born to Simon Bojer and Barbara Staub....
ex Hook.William Jackson HookerSir William Jackson Hooker, FRS was an English systematic botanist and organiser. He held the post of Regius Professor of Botany at Glasgow University, and was the first Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He enjoyed the friendship and support of Sir Joseph Banks for his exploring,...
) Ursch & LeandriJacques Désiré LeandriJacques Désiré Leandri, born 1903 in Corsica, died 1982, was a French botanist and mycologist.Leandri is remembered for botanical excursions in North Africa and Madagascar. He collected plants for scientific study from the years 1922 to 1980...
1955 - Euphorbia milii var. tananarivae (LeandriJacques Désiré LeandriJacques Désiré Leandri, born 1903 in Corsica, died 1982, was a French botanist and mycologist.Leandri is remembered for botanical excursions in North Africa and Madagascar. He collected plants for scientific study from the years 1922 to 1980...
) Ursch & LeandriJacques Désiré LeandriJacques Désiré Leandri, born 1903 in Corsica, died 1982, was a French botanist and mycologist.Leandri is remembered for botanical excursions in North Africa and Madagascar. He collected plants for scientific study from the years 1922 to 1980...
1955 - Euphorbia milii var. tenuispina RauhWerner RauhWerner Rauh was an internationally renowned German botanist and author.-Biography:Born in the town of Niemegk in Brandenburg, Rauh studied at the University of Halle under the famous morphologist Wilhelm Troll and received his doctorate in 1937 before coming to the University of Heidelberg two...
& Razaf. 1991 - Euphorbia milii var. tulearensis Ursch & LeandriJacques Désiré LeandriJacques Désiré Leandri, born 1903 in Corsica, died 1982, was a French botanist and mycologist.Leandri is remembered for botanical excursions in North Africa and Madagascar. He collected plants for scientific study from the years 1922 to 1980...
1955 - Euphorbia milii var. vulcanii (LeandriJacques Désiré LeandriJacques Désiré Leandri, born 1903 in Corsica, died 1982, was a French botanist and mycologist.Leandri is remembered for botanical excursions in North Africa and Madagascar. He collected plants for scientific study from the years 1922 to 1980...
) Ursch & LeandriJacques Désiré LeandriJacques Désiré Leandri, born 1903 in Corsica, died 1982, was a French botanist and mycologist.Leandri is remembered for botanical excursions in North Africa and Madagascar. He collected plants for scientific study from the years 1922 to 1980...
1955