Common Name:

General Information

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[, , ]. The stem can be up to 15cm in diameter[].
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[].

Known Hazards

The plant, and more specifically the latex, are generally reported to be toxic[]. 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[]. 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[].

Botanical References

Range

Africa - Canary Islands; Morocco to Senegal, east to Somalia and into the Aradian Peninsula.

Habitat

Dry sandy sites[]. Clayey soil on plains with Euphorbia officinarum; sandy-clayey soil; compact sand overlying laterite or shallow sandstone formation; scree; rocky limestone and gypseous soils with low open scrub vegetation[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Semi-deciduous Shrub
Height	3.50 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a sunny position. Requires a deep, well-drained, sandy or gritty soil[, ]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[].

Edible Uses

The juice of the plant is thickened to a jelly and then eaten[]. Some caution is advised, see notes above on toxicity.

Young shoots - raw or cooked[]. Although the latex in the plant is toxic, children are said to commonly suck the young shoots, and in some areas they are cooked for food[]. During the famine of 1972 - 74 in N Nigeria, the plant was eaten - however, after the famine, the villagers claimed it to be inedible[].

Medicinal

An aqueous macerate of the bark and roots is taken in draught as a drastic purge, and is administered as such in the treatment of conditions such as leprosy, syphilis and gonorrhoea which require cleansing of the abdominal region[].

A decoction of the leafy twigs is used to wash the genitals in the treatment of leucorrhoea and menorrhoea[]. The decoction is also applied to the skin to treat ringworm[].
Water in which leaves have been steeped is used to wash fever patients[].

A decoction of the roots is taken as a remedy for intestinal parasites[].

A decoction of flowering branch ends is taken to expel worms[].

The latex is used externally as an antitoxin on snake and insect-bites, and is also applied to guinea-worm sores[]. It relieves toothache and gum troubles - when placed on a carious tooth it not only curbs aching but serves to loosen the tooth to facilitate extraction[]. It is possible that there is some analgesic action[].
The latex is compounded into a poultice with the leaves of Annona senegalensis and the latex of Calotropis procera, this is then applied to the indurations of 'yaws' in order to maturate them[].
The latex contains a gum-resin and a revulsive identified as euphorbon[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is commonly grown as a hedge and field-boundary marker. It is easily raised by cuttings and is said to be one of the best hedge plants for low rainfall areas, i.e. under 900 mm[, ]. It is not eaten by the stock, nor by termites[]. Though cattle do not browse the plant, it is taken in Senegal by camels, sheep and goats, and sheep will eat the fallen leaves[].
In the soundanian zone of Africa, the plant is commonly grown along the sides of roads and tracks and on wind-blown dunes as a sand-binder[, ]. Its ease of propagation, however, should not be allowed to lead to uncontrolled spreading and its restriction in the Sahel zone is recommended in order to improve pasturage[].

Other Uses

The succulent branches carry a copious amount of latex[].
The latex is viscously tacky and might have some potential as a 'fly-paper' in the same way as the latices of some other Euphorbia spp., which retain an adhesive quality and have been successfully used to catch tsetse flies[].

Propagation

Seed -
Cuttings root easily and grow away quickly. They are best if taken at least 50cm long, can be planted directly where the plant is to grow, and can even survive many months of drought and still grow away afterwards[].

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.

Name:

Email(Private):

Message:

Captcha: what is half of 100?