Euphorbia primulifolia
Baker
Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbia subapoda Baill.
Common Name:
Flowering plant - the swollen stem is usually underground
Photograph by: Frank Vincentz
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Flowers and new leaves emerging from the underground stem
Photograph by: Frank Vincentz
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Plant in full leaf
Photograph by: Frank Vincentz
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Plant just emerging from underground stem
Photograph by: Frank Vincentz
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
General Information
Euphorbia primulifolia is a herbaceous perennial plant growing up to 15cm tall from a tuber[
385- Title
- Bihrmann's Caudiciforms
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.bihrmann.com/caudiciforms/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An internet site giving information on caudiciform plants (plants with swollen stem bases such as the Baobab tree, cycads and many succulents). Excellent photos, usually of cultivated plants in pots.
].
The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local medicinal use.
Both of the varieties of this species are threatened. The combined extent of occurrence is still less than 20,000 km², and there are probably less than ten locations. There is continuing decline due to habitat degradation. The plant is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Known Hazards
The thickened root is used as bait to poison rats; it is also used for criminal purposes[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Botanical References
Range
Africa - northern and central Madagascar.
Habitat
On Isalo sands, in valleys and also in red laterite grasslands[
338- Title
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.iucnredlist.org/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
].
Properties
| Conservation Status | Vulnerable |
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial |
| Height | 0.15 m |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Succeeds in light shade to full sun[
385- Title
- Bihrmann's Caudiciforms
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.bihrmann.com/caudiciforms/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An internet site giving information on caudiciform plants (plants with swollen stem bases such as the Baobab tree, cycads and many succulents). Excellent photos, usually of cultivated plants in pots.
]. Requires a well-drained soil[
385- Title
- Bihrmann's Caudiciforms
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.bihrmann.com/caudiciforms/
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An internet site giving information on caudiciform plants (plants with swollen stem bases such as the Baobab tree, cycads and many succulents). Excellent photos, usually of cultivated plants in pots.
].
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
The latex is applied to syphilitic sores[
299- Title
- Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa.
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.prota.org
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
].
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed -
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Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
