African milk tree

English

A large specimen of African milk tree (Euphorbia trigona)

A small specimen of African milk tree

Etymology

Named for the white latex released whenever one of the cylindrical stems is pierced or cut. See also African milk barrel.

Noun

African milk tree (plural African milk trees)

1. A type of succulent plant cultivated in West Africa, resembling a cactus, of species Euphorbia trigona.

   Synonym: cathedral cactus

   • 2014 May 30, Victor Kuete, Toxicological Survey of African Medicinal Plants, Elsevier, →ISBN, page 505:

     An example of a species found in western Africa is Euphorbia trigona, commonly known as the African milk tree. The sap of this species was able to cause loss of corneal epithelium 16 h after direct exposure to the sap in a 60-year-old male.

   • 2017 September 14, Maaike Koster, Emma Sibley, “Euphorbia trigona”, in Urban Botanics: An Indoor Plant Guide for Modern Gardeners, Quarto Publishing Group USA, →ISBN:

     One problem that you may encounter with your African milk tree is that because of their height and small root structure, these plants have a tendency to topple over.

   • 2023 April 11, Paul Rees, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, The Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing Cacti and Succulents, Frances Lincoln, →ISBN, page 85:

     The African milk tree is a fast-growing, triangular-stemmed succulent from Angola and central Africa. It forms a multi-branched, upright plant, which can grow up to 3m/10ft, but is unlikely to reach this size as a potted plant.

Hypernyms

• spurge, euphorbia, malvid, fabid, rosid, eudicot, angiosperm, tracheophyte, plant

Translations

Euphorbia trigona

• Translingual: Euphorbia trigona

References

• African milk tree on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Euphorbia trigona on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Euphorbia trigona on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons