Scientific Name:
Euphorbia lacei
Pronunciation:
you-FOR-bee-uh LAY-see-eye
Common Name:
African milk tree
Family Name:
Euphorbiaceae
Plant Type:
Indoor foliage plant, Succulent or Cacti
Key ID Features:
Cactus-like houseplant; stems mostly 3 angled; leaves along stem ridges when present, obovate, most 5-8cm long x 2-4cm wide; spines in pairs, 6-7mm long (including sheild).
Habit:
Stiffly upright
Form:
Columnar
Texture:
Medium - coarse
Mature Height:
0.4 - 0.7m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Slow
Origin:
Africa
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 10: (-1 to 4 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Rocky or gravelly or dry, Well-drained
Water Use:
Low
Landscape Uses:
Indoor plant (Caution: poisonous parts)
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite
Texture/Venation:
Succulent
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Shapes:
Obovate
Apices:
Mucronate, Rounded
Bases:
Obtuse
Margins:
Entire
Additional Info:
Most leaves reduced to spines.
Inflorescence Type:
Cyathium
Flower Morphology:
Monoecious plant
Number Of Petals:
0
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
No flowers, Green-yellow
Flower Time at Peak:
Additional Info:
Rarely flowers
Fruit Type:
Schizocarp, Aborted (hybrids) or absent
Fruit Colour:
Pink, Red
Fruiting Time:
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant, Unlikely to form locally; Mericarps (3) split open to release a single seed
Bark Morphology:
Smooth
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green, Red
Organ Modifications:
Spines, Succulent stems
Propagation:
Stem tip cuttings
Optimal Temp.:
High
Light Level:
High
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Mealybugs, Mites, Root rot, Scale insects (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Drought tolerant)
