Anglithor / Milk Hedge
Euphorbia tirucalli
Also known as Indian Tree Spurge, Milk Bush, Pencil Bush
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka & more
- Flowering
- June-October
How to identify Anglithor
Identify Anglithor by combining habit, leaf characters, flower or fruit details, location, and its family pattern. Do not rely on one feature alone.
- Look for a tree habit.
- Check the distinctive field mark: Leafless pencil-thin cylindrical green stems (milk bush).
- Confirm leaf margin: Entire (smooth edge).
- Confirm leaf surface: Glabrous (smooth, hairless).
- Confirm flower colour: Green.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: June-October.
- In India, compare location records such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat and nearby regions.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Euphorbia tirucalli
- Genus
- Euphorbia
- Family
- Euphorbiaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Open dry places
- Native to
- Africa
- Distribution
- Old World tropics
- Found in India
- Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Puducherry, Goa, Haryana, Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand
- Flowering & fruiting
- June-October
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (LC)
Leaf characters
- Leaf margin
- Entire (smooth edge)recorded
- Leaf surface
- Glabrous (smooth, hairless)recorded
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Alternate
Characters marked “recorded” are for Anglithor itself; the rest are typical of the Euphorbiaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- GreenrecordedGreen or greenish
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Capsule
Characters marked “recorded” are for Anglithor itself; the rest are typical of the Euphorbiaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Hindi
- उंगली थौर Anglithor, Barki-sehund, barki-thohar
- Tamil
- Chakkalavi, Chatukalavi, Kalli
- Telugu
- సన్న జెముడు
- Kannada
- ಬೊಂತಕಳ್ಳಿ Bonta-kalli, Bontakalli, ಬೊಂತೆಕಳ್ಳಿ Bontekalli
- Malayalam
- Kodikalli, Kolkalli, Guda
- Marathi
- Kada nivali, Nevli, Nirval
About Anglithor
A member of the Euphorbiaceae family, Milk hedge (Euphorbia tirucalli) is a tree. In India it has been recorded in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and 13 other states. It grows in open dry places. Flowering and fruiting run from June to October.
Uses
Parts of this plant are reported as poisonous — treat it as unsafe to eat and wash your hands after handling.
Euphorbiaceae
Spurge/Euphorbia family
Anglithor belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
Explore the Euphorbiaceae familySnap it. Know it.
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Common plant problems
If you are starting from symptoms instead of a diagnosis, use the plant disease symptom checker to narrow the cause before treating.
All plant problem & care guides