IDENTIFICATION OF CHRISTPLANT (Euphorbia milii)

CHRISTPLANT (Euphorbia milii)

Euphorbia milii, the crown of thorns, Christ plant, or Christ thorn, called Corona de Cristo in Latin America (coroa-de-cristo in Brazil), is a species of flowering plant in the spurge family Euphorbiaciae, native to Madagascar. The species name commemorates Baron Milius, once Governor of Réunion, 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.

Morphological character

Habitus : subshrub. Growing to 25-40cm tall. with densely spiny stems. The straight; slender spines; up to 3 cm (1.2 in) long. The 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.

Classification

Kingdom           :               Plantae

Clade                 :              Tracheophytes

Clade                 :              Angiosperms

Clade                 :              Eudicots

Clade                 :              Rosids

Order                 :              Malpighiales

Family                :              Euphorbiaceae

Genus                :              Euphorbia

Species               :              Euphorbia milii