Mexican Fire plant, Mole plant
Euphorbia heterophylla

Family: Euphorbiaceae

What it is like

A woody herb. It grows up to 2 m high. The young shoots are hairy with long purple hairs. The stems are green. The leaf stalks have a reddish tinge. The leaf is dark green on the upper surface and dull green underneath. The flowers are cream of light green. They occur closely together at the ends of branches. The fruit are green. The seeds are grey. They are almost round and are rough.

There are about 2000 Euphorbia species. Most Euphorbias have sap which irritates the skin.

Where it is found

A tropical and subtropical plant. It can grow in arid places. In Zimbabwe it grows up to 1,500 m above sea level. In Argentina it grows from sea level to 1,000 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Britain, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Caroline Islands, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Central America, China, Christmas Island, Chuuk, Colombia, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Europe, Fiji, French Guiana, FSM, Ghana, Guam, Guiana, Guianas, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mediterranean, Mexico, Middle East, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Africa, North America, Oman, Pacific, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Reunion, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America (country/location of origin), Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad-Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Uruguay, USA, Vanuatu, Venezuela, West Africa, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

Caution: All Euphorbias or spurges have irritating sap and many have chemicals that can cause cancer. The leaves are used as a famine food. They are also used in curries.

Edible parts

Leaves, caution, poisonous

How it is grown

In Australia, plants flower and fruit in May.

Its other names

Local names

Annual poinsettia, Cruel plant, Kankaka, Kuriraiyvaa, Kywe-kyaung-myin-si, Mpendo, Mpira, Painted leaf, Pekapar, Saarni koora

Synonyms

Euphorbia geniculata Ortega; Euphorbia prunifolia Jacq.; Poinsettia geniculata (Ortega) Klotzsch & Garcke; Poinsettia heterophylla (L.) LKlotzsch & Garcke; Poinsettia prunifolia (Jacq.) Klotzsch & Garcke;