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Devil's backbone (Euphorbia tithymaloides)

Dlium Devil's backbone (Euphorbia tithymaloides)

Devil's-backbone (Euphorbia tithymaloides) are plant species in Euphorbiaceae, upright, evergreen, gummy shrubs, growing in tropical and subtropical regions.

E. tithymaloides likes sandy soils especially with high concentrations of boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc. This bush grows to 2.4 m high and 61 cm wide. Simple angiosperm leaves, arranged opposite to the stem where each leaf is sessile with a length of 3.6-7.6 cm.



The stem has the tip of a handle that supports a group of flowers that are not scented. Bifid crown and ovoid. The involucral bracts are bright red, irregular in shape and length from 1.1 to 1.3 mm. Hairy male and female pedicels.

Seed pods are 7.6 mm long, 8.9 mm wide and ovate with clipped ends. Devil's-backbone generally blooms in mid-spring in the subtropical region and in the dry season in the tropics. Pollination is carried out by ants and birds.

The roots, stems and leaves are known to be poisonous. Plant is used to fight intestinal worms and is useful for diabetes mellitus. Leaves to treat asthma, coughing, sore throat, mouth sores and venereal disease. Root is used as an abortion of patients. Latex to treat calluses, earaches, insect stings, skin cancer, toothache, umbilical hernia and warts. A few drops of latex are added to the milk as an emetic.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Subfamily: Euphorbioideae
Tribe: Euphorbieae
Subtribe: Euphorbiinae
Genus: Euphorbia
Subgenus: Euphorbia
Section: Crepidaria L. in Sp. Pl.: 450 (1753)
Species: Euphorbia tithymaloides L. in Sp. Pl.: 453 (1753)
Subspecies: Euphorbia tithymaloides subsp. angustifolia (Poit.) V.W.Steinm., Euphorbia tithymaloides subsp. bahamensis (Millsp.) Govaerts, Euphorbia tithymaloides subsp. jamaicensis (Millsp. & Britton) V.W.Steinm., Euphorbia tithymaloides subsp. padifolia (L.) V.W.Steinm., Euphorbia tithymaloides subsp. parasitica (Boiss. ex Klotzsch) V.W.Steinm., Euphorbia tithymaloides subsp. retusa (Benth.) V.W.Steinm., Euphorbia tithymaloides subsp. smallii (Millsp.) V.W.Steinm., Euphorbia tithymaloides subsp. tithymaloides

HOMOTYPIC SYNONYMS

Pedilanthus tithymaloides (L.) Poit. in Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. 19: 390 (1812)
Tithymalus tithymaloides (L.) Croizat in Amer. J. Bot. 24: 704 (1937)

PUBLICATIONS

Aung, Y.L., Aung, M.H., Tan, Y. & Jin, X. (2025). An updated checklist of vascular plants of Myanmar. PhytoKeys 261: 135-364.

Brundu, G. & Camarda, I. (2013). The Flora of Chad: a checklist and brief analysis. PhytoKeys 23: 1-18.

Garcia-Mendoza, A.J. & Meave, J.A. (eds.) (2012). Diversidad florística de Oaxaca: de musgos a angiospermas (colecciones y listas de especies), ed. 2: 1-351. Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

Idárraga-Piedrahita, A., Ortiz, R.D.C., Callejas Posada, R. & Merello, M. (eds.) (2011). Flora de Antioquia: Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares 2: 1-939. Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín.

Jones, M. (1991). A checklist of Gambian plants: 1-33. Michael Jones, The Gambia College.

Jørgensen, P.M., Nee, M.H. & Beck., S.G. (eds.) (2013). Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de Bolivia. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 127: 1-1741. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Pasha, M.K. & Uddin, S.B. (2013). Dictionary of plant names of Bangladesh, Vasc. Pl.: 1-434. Janokalyan Prokashani, Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Plunkett, G.M., Ranker, T.A., Sam, C. & Balick, M.J. (2022). Towards a checklist of the vascular flora of Vanuatu. Candollea 77: 105-118.

VERNACULAR NAME

Chinese (simplified): 红雀珊瑚
Chinese (traditional): 紅雀珊瑚 - 銀龍
English: Devil's backbone, Christmas candle, Devil's-backbone, Japanese poinsettia, Redbird cactus, Zig-Zag plant, Jacob's ladder, Redbird flower, Jewbush, buck-thorn, Cimora misha, Fiddle flower, Jew's slipper, Milk-hedge, Myrtle-leaved spurge, Padus-leaved clipper plant, Red slipper spurge, Slipper flower, Slipper plant, Slipper spurge
Finnish: Mehipolvi
French: Pantoufle, Doigts de Satan ou Doigts du Diable
Hong Kong: 紅雀珊瑚
Indonesian: Pohon Sig-Sag, Pokok lipan, Penawar lipan, Penawar lilin
Japanese: ギンリュウ
Macao: 紅雀珊瑚
Mexico: Aapatilla del diablo
Portuguese: Sapatinho do Diabo
Russian: Педилантус титималоидный
Slovak: Mliečnik červenopohárikový
Spanish: Pítamo real, Itamo real, Candelilla, Bítamo, Zapatilla del diablo, Zapatico
Taiwan: 銀龍
Thai: แสยก

Aryo Bandoro
Dlium TheDlium
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dlium
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