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Trees & Plants

Devil’s backbone

Kalhukalhlha
Euphorbia tithymaloides L.

Common in homesteads An ornamental plant. The latex can cause skin irritation, inflammation and blisters.In traditional medicine, a tea brewed from the leaves is used to treat asthma, cough, laryngitis, mouth ulcers and venereal disease.

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uses
An ornamental plant. The latex can cause skin irritation, inflammation and blisters.In traditional medicine, a tea brewed from the leaves is used to treat asthma, cough, laryngitis, mouth ulcers and venereal disease.
family
Euphorbiaceae
synonym
Pedilanthus tithymaloides (L.) Poit.
description
Erect subshrubs; branchlets zigzag, latex milky. Leaves alternate, elliptic- L. ovate, variegated, deciduous. Cyathia terminal, cymose, subtended by petaloid bracts; glands 4, unequal; appendages and perianth absent. Male florets ca. 25, female single; ovary 3-locular; ovule 1 per locule. Capsule of 3 bivalved cocci.
native range
Tropical and subtropical North and Central America
distribution
Naturalised in the tropics
english names
Devil’s backbone · Zigzag plant · Jacob’s ladder
flowering fruiting
April – August
occurrence maldives
Common in homesteads
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