Euphorbiaceae · Euphorbia

Christ Plant / Crown Of Thorns

Euphorbia milii

Undershruboutdoor
Habit
Undershrub
Found in India
Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Assam & more
Flowering
Throughout the year

Plant Details

Scientific name
Euphorbia milii
Genus
Euphorbia
Habitat
Garden plant
Habitat type
Cultivated
Native to
Madagascar
Distribution
Cultivated in the tropics
Found in India
Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Assam, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Mizoram, Andhra Pradesh, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Manipur, Puducherry
Flowering & fruiting
Throughout the year
Conservation status
Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf margin
Entire (smooth edge)recorded
Leaf surface
Glabrous (smooth, hairless)recorded

Typical of the family

Arrangement
Alternate
Simple type leaf character
Type
Simple
Pinnate venation leaf character
Venation
Pinnate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Christ Plant itself; the rest are typical of the Euphorbiaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour
Redrecorded

Typical of the family

Inflorescence
Cyme
Fruit
Capsule

Characters marked “recorded” are for Christ Plant itself; the rest are typical of the Euphorbiaceae family — flowering plants only.

Local Names

Bengali
কাঁটা মুকুট, ইউফরবিয়া মিলি
Tamil
கிறிஸ்து கிரீடம், கிறிஸ்து தாவரம், கிறிஸ்து முள்
Malayalam
യൂഫോർബിയ, Christ Plant, Crown-of-thorns

About Christ Plant

Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii) is a low shrub in the Euphorbiaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Assam and 21 other states. It grows in garden plant. It flowers and fruits through much of the year.

Uses

Locally it is planted as an ornamental. Parts of this plant are reported as poisonous — treat it as unsafe to eat and wash your hands after handling.

In culture

It carries a body of folklore around it.

Illustration representing the Euphorbiaceae family
Botanical family

Euphorbiaceae

Spurge/Euphorbia family

Christ Plant belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family.

The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.

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Common plant problems

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