African Milk Weed

Overview

Come from Central Africa, Angola and Malawi. The plant is sometimes harvested from the wild for local medicinal use. It is commonly planted as a ritual plant and hedge near villages, especially in Gabon, and is widely cultivated as an ornamental, often as a pot plant.

Vernacular Names

Cactus candelabro (Spanish), Corona de la reina (Cuban), Triangular spurge (India).

Agroecology

Plants are not tolerant of frosts. Prefers a position in light shade. It is possibly of hybrid origin, as it is only known in cultivation and is not known to flower.

Morphology

• Stems - latex milky, branchlets 3-angled, spines 3 mm, divergent, cauducous.
• Leaves - 2.5 mm, ovate, cauducous.
• Flowers - Cyathia solitary or in groups, bracts paired to 3.5 x 4 mm, ovate, obtuse, dentate, glands 5 to 2.2 mm, bracteoles approximately 2.5 mm, obovate, apex fringed; stamens numerous, filaments jointed, 2.6 mm; female flowers erect, ovary about 3.7 mm across, 3-celled, style 3, ovule 1.
• Fruits - 7 mm, 3-lobed, 3.5 mm, obovoid.

Cultivation

Propagated by cuttings and stem fragments.

Chemical Constituents

Alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins, 8-methoxyingol esters, lectins, ingol-type diterpenoids.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

• Some drops of latex in palm wine are taken in severe cases of constipation or in case of an epileptic attack.
• The latex contains 8-methoxyingol esters, which are very irritant to the skin. It also contains lectins with potent erythrocyte agglutinating ability.