Murukalli / Spiral Spurge
Euphorbia tortilis
- Habit
- Tree
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
- Flowering
- June-August
How to identify Murukalli
Identify Murukalli 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: Spirally twisted succulent stems.
- Confirm leaf margin: Entire (smooth edge).
- Confirm leaf surface: Glabrous (smooth, hairless).
- Confirm flower colour: Green.
- In season, compare flowering and fruiting time: June-August.
- In India, compare location records such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu.
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Euphorbia tortilis
- Genus
- Euphorbia
- Family
- Euphorbiaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Habitat
- Dry deciduous forests
- Habitat type
- Forest
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
- Flowering & fruiting
- June-August
- 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
Characters marked “recorded” are for Murukalli 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 Murukalli itself; the rest are typical of the Euphorbiaceae family — flowering plants only.
Local Names
- Malayalam
- മുരുകല്ലി Murukalli
About Murukalli
Spiral Spurge (Euphorbia tortilis) belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family, where it grows as a tree. In India it has been recorded in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. It grows in dry deciduous forests. Flowering and fruiting run from June to August.
Euphorbiaceae
Spurge/Euphorbia family
Murukalli belongs to the Euphorbiaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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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.
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