From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Euphorbia resinifera
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Euphorbiaceae
Genus:	Euphorbia
Species:	E. resinifera
Binomial name
Euphorbia resinifera A.Berger.

Euphorbia resinifera (Resin spurge) is a species of spurge native to Morocco, where it occurs on the slopes of the Atlas Mountains.^[1]

Growth

It is a shrub growing to 60 cm tall, forming multi-stemmed cushion-shaped clumps up to 2 m wide. The stems are erect, succulent, superficially like a cactus (an example of convergent evolution in a similar semi-desert climate), four-angled, with short but sharp pairs of 6 mm spines on the angles, spaced about 1 cm apart up the stem.^[1]

Distribution

It is similar to its relative Euphorbia echinus, which occurs on the Moroccan coast and the Canary Islands.

Medicinal uses

It contains a high concentration of resiniferatoxin and is being used to develop a novel and powerful class of analgesics.^[2]

Gallery

Moroccan mound spurge, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

19th century illustration by Franz Eugen Köhler

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Huxley, A, ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. ISBN 0-333-47494-5
2. ^ Appendino, G. & Szallasi, A. (1997) Euphorbium: Modern research on its active principle, resiniferatoxin, revives an ancient medicine. [1]

From Wikispecies

Euphorbia resinifera

Taxonavigation

Classification System: APG II (down to family level)

Main Page
Cladus: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiospermae
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids I
Ordo: Malpighiales
Familia: Euphorbiaceae
Subfamilia: Euphorbioideae
Tribus: Euphorbieae
Subtribus: Euphorbiinae
Genus: Euphorbia
Species: Euphorbia resinifera

Name

Euphorbia resinifera