Euphorbia candelabrum
Encyclopedia
Euphorbia candelabrum is a succulent species of plant
in the Euphorbiaceae
family. Its Latin name derives from its growth habit, often considered to resemble the branching of a candelabrum. E. candelabrum is endemic to the Horn of Africa
and eastern Africa
along the Great Rift Valley
system. It is known in Ethiopia
by its Amharic
name qwolqwal.
Some authorities further divide this species into two sub-species, Euphorbia candelabrum var. bilocularis and Euphorbia candelabrum var. candelabrum.
E. candelabrum was used in traditional Ethiopian medicine. Mixed with clarified honey
, its sap was used as a purgative to cure syphilis
, and when mixed with other medicinal plants as a salve to treat the symptoms of leprosy
. This plant currently has negligible commercial value, although Richard Pankhurst
documents two different attempts near Keren
in Eritrea
to collect its gum before 1935, but neither attempt proved commercially viable.
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
in the Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae, the Spurge family are a large family of flowering plants with 300 genera and around 7,500 species. Most are herbs, but some, especially in the tropics, are also shrubs or trees. Some are succulent and resemble cacti....
family. Its Latin name derives from its growth habit, often considered to resemble the branching of a candelabrum. E. candelabrum is endemic to the Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
and eastern Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
along the Great Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in South East Africa...
system. It is known in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
by its Amharic
Amharic language
Amharic is a Semitic language spoken in Ethiopia. It is the second most-spoken Semitic language in the world, after Arabic, and the official working language of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Thus, it has official status and is used nationwide. Amharic is also the official or working...
name qwolqwal.
Some authorities further divide this species into two sub-species, Euphorbia candelabrum var. bilocularis and Euphorbia candelabrum var. candelabrum.
E. candelabrum was used in traditional Ethiopian medicine. Mixed with clarified honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
, its sap was used as a purgative to cure syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
, and when mixed with other medicinal plants as a salve to treat the symptoms of leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
. This plant currently has negligible commercial value, although Richard Pankhurst
Richard Pankhurst (academic)
Richard Keir Pethick Pankhurst OBE is a British academic with expertise in the study of Ethiopia.-Early life and education:...
documents two different attempts near Keren
Keren, Eritrea
Keren is the second largest city in Eritrea. It is situated about 91 kilometers northwest of Asmara. The town serves as the capital of the Anseba region, and is home to the Bilen ethnic group.-History:...
in Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
to collect its gum before 1935, but neither attempt proved commercially viable.
External links
- Taxon: Euphorbia candelabrum Kotschy Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN)