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Avatar for Samhoge
Sep 23, 2020 12:48 PM CST
Thread OP
Alberta
Trying to figure out what cactus this is urgently. I threw out the pot and forgot the name, but I think it said it was from Africa and the white substance it creates when cut is toxic.
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Sep 23, 2020 1:48 PM CST
Name: Daisy I
Reno, Nv (Zone 6b)
Not all who wander are lost
Garden Sages Plant Identifier
Welcome!

Your plant is Euphorbia mammillaris variegata. All Euphobia are from Africa or Madagascar. Their sap is white and is poisonous so, if you cut or break it, don't get the sap on your skin.
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and proclaiming...."WOW What a Ride!!" -Mark Frost

President: Orchid Society of Northern Nevada
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Avatar for Iochroma
Sep 24, 2020 12:49 AM CST
San Francisco Bay area (Zone 9a)
DaisyI said: Welcome!

Your plant is Euphorbia mammillaris variegata.


Agreed.

DaisyI said:
All Euphobia are from Africa or Madagascar.


That is not the case. Euphorbia are native to Europe, Asia, North and South America, and Australia.

DaisyI said:
Their sap is white and is poisonous so, if you cut or break it, don't get the sap on your skin.

Caution is prudent with regards to the sap, but not all species are poisonous.
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Sep 24, 2020 11:27 AM CST
Name: Daisy I
Reno, Nv (Zone 6b)
Not all who wander are lost
Garden Sages Plant Identifier
I'm surprised you didn't point out to the OP that Euphorbias are not cactus while you were at it. I believe the "cactus" type Euphorbias are all from Africa and Madagascar and the leafy Euphorbia are from other places. I admit I didn't say that quite right as I was thinking about "cactus" type Euphorbias only as that type was the topic of this thread.

There are Euphorbia not poisonous?? I don't know of any. Maybe you can list a couple? I'd like to see them and my Google search didn't turn up any.

I am happy you approved of my ID. Thumbs up
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and proclaiming...."WOW What a Ride!!" -Mark Frost

President: Orchid Society of Northern Nevada
Webmaster: osnnv.org
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Sep 24, 2020 11:56 AM CST
Name: Stefan
SE europe(balkans) (Zone 6b)
Wild Plant Hunter Plumerias Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Cactus and Succulents Sempervivums Bromeliad
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DaisyI said:

There are Euphorbia not poisonous?? I don't know of any. Maybe you can list a couple? I'd like to see them and my Google search didn't turn up any.




I think s/he might be talking about Euphorbia hirta .
But fun fact, all plants are poisonous, whether to humans or other species. Things like flavors and alkaloids and whatnot, are made to make the plant unappealing to predators... or so ive read.
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Sep 24, 2020 6:25 PM CST
Name: Baja
Baja California (Zone 11b)
Cactus and Succulents Seed Starter Xeriscape Container Gardener Hummingbirder Native Plants and Wildflowers
Garden Photography Region: Mexico Plant Identifier Forum moderator Plant Database Moderator Garden Ideas: Level 2
Not to get knee deep in the weeds, but the issue of Euphorbia sap as a poison/toxin is a bit of a misunderstanding, at least insofar as we gardening humans are concerned. Poisons/toxins are generally things that make you sick when you consume them (unless they are the type that can pass through skin or air or whatever). The principal danger from Euphorbia sap is unrelated to its effects should we consume it. Euphorbia sap is a very potent irritant, meaning it can irritate the skin, mucous membranes (nose and mouth), and eyes to the point of causing extreme pain and prolonged rash-like effects, even blindness in extreme cases. The irritant effect is what will make you sick if you come in contact with fresh sap and don't take care to avoid it. The irritant effect is what is most likely to send you to the hospital, unless of course you eat huge quantities of a plant (in which case you'd probably still be pretty sick from the irritant effect before anything else kicked in). The irritant effect is local, affecting those parts which came in contact with the juice.

Fun fact: some Euphorbias are actually known to be edible (to some livestock, anyway) and these have names like esculenta ("edible") aka Soetvingerpol (roughly "sweet finger plant").

Euphorbia (Euphorbia esculenta)

In my experience several succulent Euphorbias are not actually toxic or poisonous or even necessarily bad-tasting to very hungry hares, gophers and squirrels. Whether or not they are poisonous to humans is another matter, but you can be sure that whatever toxicity exists, it varies widely from one species to the next. For what it's worth, based on the aforementioned hares, E. mammillaris is on the nasty/bad-tasting/toxic side, because the hares completely ignored it while devouring the polygona right next to it.
Last edited by Baja_Costero Sep 24, 2020 6:36 PM Icon for preview
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