Euphorbia balsamifera

The plant varies greatly in height. It can be described both as a low shrub or as a small tree from 2–5 meters tall. The stems are up to 15 cm in diameter, semisucculent without spines, covered with transverse leaf-scars. The color of the stem varies from gray to terra-cotta. It is branched from the base, the older parts gradually becoming knotty and very thick. The leaves are 80 millimeters long and 4–8 millimeters wide clustered at the tips of the stems. They are green and glaucous, sessile, varying in shape from linear-lanceolate to ovate. The inflorescences are terminal cymes, usually reduced to a single semi-sessile 6 millimeters wide cyathium at the tip of each stem. The color of pseudo-petals is yellowish green. The fruit of the plant is a green large capsule 10 millimeters long and 9 millimeters wide, pinkish-reddish-green when ripened. It is shallowly lobed, smooth or hairy and semi-sessile.{{cite book|last1=Bramwell|first1=D.|last2=Bramwell|first2=Z.|year=2001|title=Wild flowers of the Canary Islands|publisher=Editorial Rueda|location=Madrid, Spain|isbn=978-84-7207-129-2}}{{rp|210}}

Two subspecies have been distinguished, but Euphoria balsamifera subsp. adenensis is now accepted as a separate species, Euphorbia adenensis.{{cite web |title=Euphorbia adenensis Deflers |work=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:345502-1 |access-date=2021-12-12 }}

Euphorbia balsamifera is native to the Canary Islands, western Morocco and Western Sahara.{{cite web |title=Euphorbia balsamifera Aiton |work=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:345730-1 |access-date=2021-12-12 }}

The tree grows 800 meters above sea level in dense communities on rocky grounds and sandy dunes (except for extremely mobile dunes) in plains among other succulent plants.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}}

Milky latex of Euphorbia balsamifera is poisonous like in other Euphorbia species, but it is not so caustic. In Morocco, it is widely used{{where|date=March 2017}} in dentistry as anesthesia for acute dental pulpitis treatment.{{Cite web|title=Morocco.com {{!}} Morocco's Fascinating Flora|url=https://www.morocco.com/blog/morocco-s-fascinating-flora/|website=Morocco.com|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-28}}

The leaves were gathered and cooked as a green vegetable in the Canary Islands.{{cite book|last1=G. Miller|first1=Anthony|last2=Morris|first2=Miranda|title=Plants of Dhofar|date=1988|publisher=The Sultanate of Oman|location=Oman|isbn=978-071570808-8|page=138}}

As most other succulent members of the genus Euphorbia, its trade is regulated under Appendix II of CITES.{{Cite web |title=Species+|url=https://www.speciesplus.net/species#/taxon_concepts/21383/legal |access-date=7 February 2023}}

• List of animal and plant symbols of the Canary Islands
• Euphorbia kamerunica, closely related plant in Africa with similar uses

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons}}

{{WestAfricanPlants|Euphorbia balsamifera}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q805519}}

balsamifera

balsamifera

Category:Flora of the Canary Islands

Category:Flora of North Africa

Category:Flora of Morocco

Category:Flora of Yemen

Category:Flora of Saudi Arabia

Category:Flora of Western Sahara