Common Name:

General Information

Euphorbia quinquecostata is a succulent, evergreen tree usually growing up to 10 metres tall, occasionally to 15 metres. The bole is simple, up to 50cm in diameter, with loosely spiraled rows of spines and scars of fallen branches. The primary branches are 2 - 4 metres long, with whorls of secondary branches, directing upwards, forming a rounded crown[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use.

Known Hazards

Skin contact with the latex can cause blisters[].

Botanical References

Range

East tropical Africa - Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique.

Habitat

Rocky hillsides, and is usually the dominant tree in mixed deciduous woodland, at elevations from 600 - 1,250 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	8.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

An abundant latex is present in all parts of the plant[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A stem infusion is given to children to expel intestinal worms; it is also taken to treat stomach-ache[].
The stem infusion is applied externally to heal wounds. The latex is rubbed into the skin in case of pain in the ribs, but this should be done with caution as it causes blisters[].

An ethyl acetate extract of the wood of Euphorbia quinquecostata using a phorbol dibutyrate receptor-binding assay system as a monitor yielded 4 inhibitory compounds; 2 were ingenane ester derivatives, 17-hydroxyingenol 20-hexadecanoate and ingenol 20-hexadecanoate, and the other 2 were ent-atisane derivatives. Also isolated from this extract were constituents inactive in this bioassay, including xanthoxylin, 6-hydroxy-7-methoxycoumarin (isoscopoletin), lupeol acetate, β-sitosterol, sitosterol-β-D-glucopyranoside, 6,7,8-trimethoxycoumarin, 3,4-dimethoxycinnamaldehyde, N-butylaniline and vanillin. A later isolated ent-isopimarane-type diterpene and a dihydrobenzofuran neolignan were inactive in assays for the induction of quinone reductase in hepatoma cells and for the inhibition of the transformation of murine cells, but 3,4-dimethoxycinnamaldehyde was significantly active in these assays[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

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