Euphorbia nivulia

Euphorbia nivulia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malpighiales
Family:	Euphorbiaceae
Genus:	Euphorbia
Species:	E. nivulia
Binomial name
Euphorbia nivulia Buch.-Ham.[1]
Synonyms[1]
Euphorbia neriifolia Roxb. Euphorbia helicothele

Euphorbia nivulia is a subtropical succulent species of flowering plant in the family Euphorbiaceae. It is found in the Indian subcontinent and is commonly known as the leafy milk hedge, holy milk hedge or dog's tongue.^[1]

Description

Euphorbia nivulia forms a small tree up to 9 m (30 ft) high and 1 m (3 ft) in girth. The bark is rough and thick. The branches are succulent, and grow out from the trunk at an obtuse angle. Spirally arranged tubercles on the branches bear clusters of sharp spines. The leaves are simple and arranged alternately, and have a very short or no stalk. The leaf blade is obovate and spoon-shaped to inverted-lance-shaped, up to 25 cm (10 in) long and 8 cm (3 in) wide. They are thick and fleshy, the tip is rounded, the base is tapered, and the margin is entire. The midrib is prominent on the underside of the leaf. The reddish cyathia (false flowers found in the genus Euphorbia) develop in groups of three in the axils of the leaves towards the ends of the branches. The fruits are divided into three parts, the lobes being compressed laterally. The seeds are four-angled and ovoid, smooth and about 4 mm (0.16 in) long.^[1] This plant is similar to Euphorbia caducifolia, leafless milk hedge, but it retains its leaves for longer than does E. caducifolia, and does not form bushy thickets.^[2]

Distribution and habitat

Euphorbia nivulia is native to Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar.^[3] It grows in both wet and dry deciduous forests on rocky hillsides,^[4] and also in dry, barren areas; it is planted as a hedge plant in agricultural areas.^[5]

Uses

Juice squeezed from the leaves, bark from the root, the stems and the latex have been used in traditional medicine. Research has shown that the plant possesses antimicrobial, wound healing, haemostatic and cytotoxic activity. Additionally, it possesses larvicidal, insecticidal and nematicidal activities, and may prove useful in controlling the mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus, and suppressing the root-knot nematode, (Meloidogyne incognita).^[5]

References

1. "Leafy milk hedge". Flowers of India. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
2. "Leafless milk hedge". Flowers of India. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
3. "Euphorbia nivulia Buch.-Ham". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
4. "Euphorbia nivulia Buch.-Ham". India Biodiversity Portal. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
5. Mahajan, Raghunath T. & Badgujar, Shamkant B. (2011). "Bioprospecting of Euphorbia nivulia Buch.-Ham" (PDF). International Journal of Phytopharmacology. 2 (2): 37–42.