Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Euphorbia tirucalli L.

árbol de los dedos, alfabeto chino, Antena, pencil plant, rubber-hedge euphorbia

Photo: .
Photo: .

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Plantae

Phylum
Magnoliophyta

Class
Magnoliopsida (= Dicotyledoneae)

Order
Euphorbiales

Family
Euphorbiaceae

Genus
Euphorbia

Species
tirucalli

Taxon category: Accepted

Syn.: Arthrothamnus tirucalli (L.) Klotzsch & Garcke

Origin: Introduced - established

Introduction

Year of first record: 1985

Mode of introduction: Intentional

Introduction Pathway: Intentional

Subpathway: Agriculture/Horticulture

Introduced status: Human dependent

Invasive status: No data

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

References

  • Guézou, A. Trueman, M., Buddenhagen, E., Chamorro, S., Guerrero, A.M., Pozo, P., Atkinson, R. (2010) An extensive Alien Plan Inventory from the Inhabited Areas of Galapagos Plos One/ www.plosone.org. Volume 5/ Issue 4/e10276
  • Leach, L.C. (1973) Euphorbia tircalli L.: its typification, synonomy and relationships, with notes on 'Almeidina' and 'Cassoneira. Kirkia 9: 69–86.
  • Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Missouri Botanical Garden (eds.) (2013) The Plant List, Version 1.1. Published on the Internet; http://www.theplantlist.org/ (accessed 1st January).
  • Schatz, G.E. Phillipson, P. (2010) Catalogue of the Native and Naturalized Vascular Plants of Madagascar. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. ined.
  • Schofield, E.K. (1984) Plants of the Galapagos Islands. Field Guide and Travel Journal. Universe Books, New York, 159 pp.
  • Tropicos.org. (2017) Database of Missouri Botanical Garden. Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden. 06 Oct 2017 <http://www.tropicos.org

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Euphorbia tirucalli", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=1134. Accessed 28 February 2026.