Euphorbia larica Boiss.
عسبق، الأسبق، موت
For people
- Eaten by people
- Not edible
- Toxic to people
- Toxic
For livestock
- Grazed by livestock
- Limited fodder
- Toxic to livestock
- Unknown
Edibility and safety notes
Not edible. Like other spurges, the stems bleed a milky latex that is strongly irritant: it can blister skin, seriously injure the eyes, and cause burning of the mouth, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea if swallowed. The field guide records folk use of small amounts of latex as a purgative and worm remedy; this is dangerous and should not be copied. Wash hands after touching broken stems. The guide says camels browse it, while another passage of the same entry calls it poisonous to animals, so do not rely on it as fodder.
This guide is a hobby project, not expert advice. Never eat a wild plant, or feed it to animals, on the strength of this page alone. Read the disclaimer
Description
A semi-succulent perennial evergreen shrub up to 150 cm tall with many erect stems rising close together. Upper stems are light-green, lower stems smooth, brown and woody. Leaves are small and nearly absent. Stems exude milky sap when broken. Small yellow flowers on terminal spikes from November to April.
Habitat
Grows in gravel plains, mountain areas, desert and forest edges in subtropical environments.
Distribution
Native to the subtropical deserts of southern Iran and portions of Arabia, including the Hajar Mountains of northern Oman, eastern UAE, and the Dhofar Mountains of southern Oman.
Pastoral value
The field guide states that camels browse it. The stems contain an irritant milky latex, as in other spurges.
Other uses
According to the field guide, the stems were used as fuel for cooking, and the latex was traditionally applied to wounds and mange in people and animals, to fractures, rheumatic pain and paralysis, and used to stupefy fish; small amounts were taken as a purgative and against worms. The latex is toxic and irritant and these uses are not safe to copy.
Sources
- الدليل الحقلي المصور للنباتات البرية في سلطنة عُمان (BOOK.pdf p.98)
- Wikipedia - Euphorbia larica — en.wikipedia.org
- Euphorbia species latex: A comprehensive review on phytochemistry and biological activities (Frontiers in Plant Science 2022) — ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Keratouveitis caused by Euphorbia plant sap (case reports) — ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- University of Pretoria repository - Euphorbia species (toxicity of ingestion) — repository.up.ac.za
- UAE National Red List - Euphorbia larica — nationalredlist.org
