img

Euphorbia lactea

Haw. (1812)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Malpighiales Family: Euphorbiaceae Genus: Euphorbia

milk striped euphorbia, milk-striped euphorbia, mottled candlestick tree

img

Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form:

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves:

Flowers:

Fruit:

Ploidy:

Habitat:

Elevation Range:

Historical Distribution

Images

img

Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Maui Naturalized

Dispersal Agents


Vegetative Reproduction

Pollinators

Specimens

img
img
img
img

Bibliography

Name Published In: Syn. Pl. Succ.: 127 (1812)

Other References

Staples & Herbst 2005:284 (KEY), 285 (DESCR); Frohlich & Lau 2012:35 (NEWNAT/K, O, DESCR); Oppenheimer 2019:5 (WM)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Euphorbia lactea Bishop Museum campus, makai end of Pauahi Hall near Buildings & Grounds trailer Preserved_Specimen Tree-sized succulent 12-14 ft tall; sap copious, milky, when stem cut; stems 3-angled, glossy olive-yellow green, with silvery white streak medially; spines brown, paired, ca. 0.25 long; young shoots of current year w/single leaf borne above each spine pair. Not observed to flower. Staples, G.W. 1019 Oahu BISH 1995-10-20
2 Euphorbia lactea West Maui, Lahaina District, Honolua Bay, west side of Kulaokaea, near Lipoa Pt. in several areas of seacliffs among Leucaena and Opuntia Preserved_Specimen Apparently sparingly naturalized; widely separated small trees; many branched shrubs with copious milky sap, stems winged, with lighter, mottled area in middle, spiny. Roots easily from detached pieces of stem. Oppenheimer, H.L. 11003 Maui BISH 2010-01-10
3 Euphorbia lactea Koko Crater, near road to Hanauma Bay. UTM 635595 2353210 Mixed alien scrub, several individuals of varying sizes in area. Preserved_Specimen Spiny shrub about 2 meters tall. No fruits or flowers. OED 2009063002 Oahu BISH 2009-06-30
4 Euphorbia lactea Hanapepe, along Hanapepe stream, gowing on cliff sides Dry Lowland rocky cliffs. Preserved_Specimen Cactus-like Euphorbia with Shrubby habit, to about 2 m tall. Stems green on edges/outside half with white coloration near middle. No flowers or fruit present. OED 2010062201 Kauai BISH 2010-06-22
Back to Top