Euphorbia tirucalli

Succulent and spineless treelets to 20 ft tall; trunk to 16" in diam.; stems and branches green, with milky latex. Leaves soon caducous or leafless, rarely alternate at apex young branchlets in former year. Branched green, rather succulent, cylindrical pencil like stems. The plants are usually leaf less, but for a few small leaves at the tips of the branches; but these leaves fall off soon. This is called the 'cactoid habit', due to which the species is often confused with the cacti (Rhipsalis baccifera). A small prick releases milky latex, which is absent in the cacti.

Similar plants:

• Euphorbia aeruginosa (Miniature Saguaro)
• Euphorbia bracteata, Pedilanthus bracteatus (Tall Slipper Plant, Slipper Spurge, Candelilla, Little Bird Flower)
• Euphorbia bubalina, Euphorbia laxiflora (Buffalo Euphorbia, Bosmelkbos)
• Euphorbia burmannii (Steenbokbos)
• Euphorbia caput-medusae (Medusa's Head)
• Euphorbia characias (Bush Spurge)
• Euphorbia confinalis (Confinalis, Lebombo Euphorbia, Lebombo Milktree)
• Euphorbia cooperi (Transvaal Candelabra Tree, Bushveld Candelabra Euphorbia)
• Euphorbia cotinifolia (Red spurge, Mexican shrubby Spurge, Caribbean Copper Plant)
• Euphorbia cyathophora, Euphorbia heterophylla, Poinsettia cyathophora (Summer Poinsettia, Wild Poinsettia, Fire on the mountain)