Euphorbia balsamifera subsp. adenensis
(Defl.) Bally
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Summary
Source: WikipediaEuphorbia balsamifera (balsam spurge) is a flowering plant in the spurge family Euphorbiaceae. It is distributed in the Canary Islands and the western Sahara. It is the vegetable symbol of the island of Lanzarote. Euphorbia adenensis has been treated as a subspecies of this species.
Description
A compact shrub. It grows 1 m tall. The leaves are 2.5 cm long.
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Edible Uses
Milky latex of Euphorbia balsamifera is poisonous like in other Euphorbia species, but it is not so caustic. In Morocco, it is widely used in dentistry as anesthesia for acute dental pulpitis treatment. The leaves were gathered and cooked as a green vegetable in the Canary Islands. As most other succulent members of the genus Euphorbia, its trade is regulated under Appendix II of CITES.
Distribution
It grows in the Mediterranean. It grows between 900-1,550 m above sea level.
Where It Grows
Africa, Middle East, Oman, Somalia, Sudan,
Synonyms
References (1)
- Miller, A. G., Morris, M. & Stuart-Smith, S., 1988, Plants of Dhofar. The Southern Region of Oman, Traditional, Economic and Medicinal Uses. Sultanate of Oman. p 138
