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Euphorbia
tirucalli General Fact sheet about Euphorbia tirucalli Unarmed, succulent shrub to 5 m, or a small tree to 12 m, with brittle succulent branches which are often whorled, c.7 mm thick, green with fine longitudinal white striations. Leaves few, linear-lanceolate to narrowly obovate, fleshy, present only on new growth and quickly deciduous. Cymes 2-6, congested at apices of branchlets, forking 2-4-times, producing cyathia, these usually either all male or all female. Cyathium c.3 × 4 mm; glands to 1.5 × 2 mm, 5, subspherical to transversely elliptic, bright yellow; lobes c.0.5 mm, triangular. Capsule c.8 × 8.5 mm, subspherical, glabrescent, exserted on a tomentose pedicel. Seeds 3.5 × 2.8 mm, ovoid, smooth. Found in open woodland; very frequently planted and naturalising near habitation. Plant parts with insect-controlling
properties Mode of action Target organisms Preparation and application To control cutworms 10 drops of oozing sap from a cut branch are collected, added to 1 litre of water and ready to use. For general grain pests, branches are burnt to obtain its ash. One teacup full of ash is mixed with 20 litres of grain.
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The Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich