Botanical Name : Euphorbia milii.
Family : Euphorbiaceae
Identification No.-SDACH/HG/230
Introduction :
Euphorbia milii, the crown of thorns, Christ plant, or Christ thorn, is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family Euphorbiaciae, native to Madagascar. The species name commemorates Baron Milius, once Governor of RΓ©union, who introduced the species to France in 1821. It is imagined that the species was introduced to the Middle East in ancient times, and legend associates it with the crown of thorns worn by Christ. It is commonly used as an ornamental houseplant that can be grown in warmer climates.
Names in different Indian languages :
English: crown-of-thorns
Other Scientific Names :
Euphorbia bojeri Klotzsch
Euphorbia bojeri Hook.
Euphorbia breonii Nois.
Euphorbia rubrostriata Drake
Euphorbia splendens Bojer ex Hook.
Sterigmanthe bojeri (Hook.) Klosch & Garcke
Tumalis bojeri (Hook.) Raf.
Varieties & adulterants – (CV β controversy, AD β adulterants) :
Euphorbia milii var. bevilaniensis
Euphorbia milii var. hislopii (N.E.Br.)
Euphorbia milii var. imperatae
Euphorbia milii var. longifolia
Euphorbia milii var. milii
Euphorbia milii var. roseana
Euphorbia milii var. splendens
Euphorbia milii var. tananarivae
Euphorbia milii var. tenuispina
Euphorbia milii var. tulearensis
Euphorbia milii var. vulcanii
Morphology :
It is a woody succulent subshrub or shrub growing to 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) tall, with densely spiny stems. The straight, slender spines, up to 3 cm (1.2 in) long, help it scramble over other plants. The fleshy, green leaves are found mainly on new growth, and are up to 3.5 cm (1.4 in) long and 1.5 cm (0.59 in) broad. The flowers are small, subtended by a pair of conspicuous petal-like bracts, variably red, pink or white, up to 12 mm (0.47 in) broad. Wat Phrik in Thailand claims to be the home of the world’s tallest Christ thorn plant. The plant thrives between spring and summer but produces flowers all year round.e
Distribution & Habitat : Euphorbia milii is native to Madagascar. It has been widely introduced as an ornamental across tropical and subtropical regions and can now be found cultivated and naturalized in Asia, Africa, North, Central and South America and the Caribbean and found growing in humid and subhumid sites, arid habitats, dry thickets and on rocky areas.
Substitute/ Adulterant: Heracleum rigens, Adhatoda beddomei: Used as a substitute in Kerala, particularly when Euphorbia milii is scarce or expensive
Phytochemicals: Terpenoids, flavonoids, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, and tannins. Specifically, studies have identified compounds like beta-sitosterol, beta-amyrin acetate, cycloartenol, lupeol, euphol, and various triterpenes.
Raspanchaka– Rasa– Katu,Tikshna ; Guna- Laghu, Ruksha; Virya– Ushna; Vipaka– Katu, Prabhava- irritant, dosha shamakta– Kaphavata shamak
Karma– Kushthgana, Rogaghnata– Krimi, pama, Vrana, kushtha
Amayika Prayoga/Therapeutic Uses
External: The plant’s latex has been used topically to treat warts, skin infections, and other skin ailments
Internal: 1) In some traditional practices, preparations from Euphorbia milii have been used to alleviate coughs and bronchial congestion
2) The latex has been used to relieve pain, including toothaches and earaches
Part used: milky sap (latex), leaves, and roots
Dose: – 10- 20 drops juice
IUCN Status: Least Concern.
Research updates
- Anthelmintic:A preliminary screening of Euphorbia milii revealed the presence of various phytoconstituents such as triterpenes, steroids, tannins, alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, saponins, and glycosides, which may contribute to its potent anthelmintic effects. The methanolic extract of E. milii leaves demonstrated significant anthelmintic activity comparable to the standard drug albendazole.
- Anti-oxidant activity :This research focused on analysing the methanolic flower extract of Euphorbia milii using a combination of phytopharmacological and advanced computational techniques. The aim was to characterise the chemical components, evaluate the in vitro antioxidant capacity, and assess the metal binding capacity of the flower extracts. The study revealed that the scavenging activity, particularly against DPPH, was notably higher (19.65 Β± 0.545 ΞΌg/ml) compared to the H2O2 assay (14.66 Β± 0.185 ΞΌg/ml), suggesting that E. milii flower extracts possess significant antioxidant potential. These findings suggest that the phytoconstituents present in the flower extracts of E. milii may contribute to their antioxidant properties and metal binding ability.
