The Abyssinian Euphorbia tree (Euphorbia abyssinica)

The Abyssinian euphorbia, or Abyssinian spurge, is a succulent, spiny, evergreen tree that often reaches up to 10 meters high in its native habitat. It is a beautiful candelabra-shaped plant that exhibits both the characteristics of a tree and of a succulent. The thick main trunk, which becomes woody with age, supports many ribbed, branching stems, and is often 8-sided. The ascending branches are usually erect, persistent, and form a broadly obconical crown. Leaves form on young growth at the end of the branches but fall in the dry season. The plant is able to photosynthesise effectively through the surface tissue of the cactus-like green stems.¹ It has also the capacity to store water in its stem tissue.²

The first to write about Abyssinian spurge was the Scottish explorer James Bruce in his book first published in 1790.³ He starts his description of Abyssinian euphorbia as follows:

“In that memorable day when leaving the Samhar [the northeastern plain of Eritrea], or low flat parched country which forms the sea-coast of Abyssinia, and turning westward, we came to the foot of that stupendous mountain Taranta [the Eritrean Eastern escarpment], which we were to pass in order to enter into the high land of Abyssinia, we saw the whole side of that prodigious mountain covered from top to bottom with this beautiful tree. We were entering a country where we daily expected wonders, and therefore, perhaps, were not so much surprised as might have been supposed at so extraordinary a sight. The fruit was ripe, and being carried on the top of the branches, the trees that stood thick together appeared to be covered with a cloth or veil of the most vivid crimson colour.”⁴

The Abyssinian Euphorbia tree is highly variable.⁵ There is considerable difference between its northern and southern populations.⁶⁷ As Bruce rightly observed:

“As we went west, the tree turned poor, the branches were few, seldom above two or three ribs, or divisions, and these not deeply indented, whereas those of Taranta [the Eritrean Eastern escarpment] had frequently eight. We afterwards saw some of them at the source of the [Blue] Nile, in the cliff where the village of Geesh is situated, but, though upon very good ground, they did not seem to thrive; on the contrary, where they grew on Taranta [the Eritrean Eastern escarpment] it was sandy, stony, poor earth, scarce deep enough to cover the rock …”⁸

Taxonomical Classification

Based on the illustrations provided by James Bruce, the Abyssinian spurge was scientifically described and named as “Euphorbia abyssinica” by the German botanist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1791.⁹ Its taxonomical classification is as follows:

• Domain: Eukaryota
• Kingdom: Plantae
• Division: Tracheophyta
• Class: Magnoliopsida
• Order: Malpighiales
• Family: Euphorbiaceae
• Genus: Euphorbia
• Species: Euphorbia abyssinica J.F.Gmel.

Habitat

The Abyssinian euphorbia tree is endemic to Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and Djibouti.¹⁰ It forms either large stands or grows as a solitary plant in montane forest, woodland, scrub savanna and on arid hillsides, ranging from 840 to 2400 meters above sea level.¹¹ In Eritrea, it is abundant in the central highlands and on the eastern and western escarpments.¹² In Ethiopia, it performs well in Dry, Moist and Wet Weyna Dega agroclimatic zones in Tigray, Gonder, Gojam, Shoa, Harerge and Sidamo, 1,400-2,400 meters above sea level.¹³ In the Sudan, it grows principally in Eastern Sudan on the Red Sea Hills.¹⁴ In Somalia, it is mainly found in northern somalia.¹⁵

Morphological Ddescription

Since the Abyssinian euphorbia tree is a highly variable species with several forms, making precise descriptions is difficult. However, the following may be taken as a typical morphological appearance of the plant:

Stems

The stems are columnar. They are 4-12 cm wide, constricted into ovate segments approximately 15 cm long. They have angular branches.¹⁶

Ribs

There are 3 to 8 thick, very deep ribs.¹⁷ They are vertical or slightly twisted, and may be winged. They undulate only in seedlings. They have shallow sinuate teeth up to 12 mm apart.¹⁸

Along the ribs are small shields, from which grow spines, leaves and flowers.¹⁹ The shields are triangular, about 10 x 7 mm wide, separate or closely packed (almost touching) on the rib border, becoming corky.²⁰

Spines

The spines grow in pairs, and are straight.²¹ They are short, 2-10 mm long.²²

Leaves

Leaves only develop on new growth at stem tips.²³ They are 2-5 cm long. They have an ovate lanceolate shape.²⁴ The leaves fall soon. The tree later only has scales. The mass of upturned green branches mainly takes over the function of leaves.²⁵

Flowers

Flowers bloom in clusters at the tips of branches from winter to summer.²⁶ Up to 5 cyathia are born together on simple cymes. Each cyathium is 8-12 mm wide, and its peduncle is stout, up to 5 mm long.²⁷

The male flowers of the Abyssinian Euphorbia are reduced to a single stamen, and the female flowers consist of a stalked pistil with branched stigmas. The flowers are without petals, but they are surrounded by noticeable yellow bracts.²⁸

Tiny up to five nectar glands surround the flowers.²⁹ They are elliptic, yellow, and almost touching.³⁰ They produce a reward for would-be pollinators.³¹

Fruits

The small yellowish flowers are followed by fruits. The fruits are capsules, about 1 cm high and 2 cm wide.³² They are subglobose, and fleshy when fresh. At first they are green in color, and then become deep red with white lines.³³

As they harden, they turn brown.³⁴ At maturity before dehiscence, they become deeply 3-lobed.³⁵ They produce three or more seeds.³⁶

Seeds

The seeds are small, 4.5 x 3.5 mm wide.³⁷ They are smooth and subglobose. They have a plain grey color.³⁸

Reference Notes

1. Fern, Ken (2025) Euphorbia abyssinica J.F.Gmel. Useful Tropical Plants. Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2025-09-06. Retrieved from https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Euphorbia+abyssinica ↩︎
2. Oxford University, Department of Biology. Oxford University Plants 400: Euphorbia abyssinica. Retrieved from https://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/plants400/Profiles/EF/Euphorbab ↩︎
3. Bruce, James (1790) Select Specimens of Natural History, Collected in Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile. Volume V. J. Ruthven: London. ↩︎
4. Ibid: p41. ↩︎
5. Encyclopedia of Living forms; Useful Tropical Plants. ↩︎
6. Bein, E. and others (1996) Useful Trees and Shrubs in Eritrea: Identification, Propagation and Management for Agricultural and Pastoral Communities. Regional Soil Conservation Unit: Nairobi. ↩︎
7. Bekele-Tesemma, Azene (2007) Useful Trees of Ethiopia: Identification, Propagation and Management in 17 Agroecological Zones. RELMA in ICRAF Project: Nairobi. ↩︎
8. Bruce (1790): p43. ↩︎
9. Gmelin, Johann Friedrich et al. (1791) Systema naturae per regna tria naturae: secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. 13th edition. V.2 Pt.1. Impensis Georg. Emanuel. Beer: Lipsiae [Leipzig]. ↩︎
10. World Flora Online; World of Succulents; Useful Tropical Plants. ↩︎
11. Plant Resources of Tropical Africa (PROTA); Bein and others (1996): p198; Bekele-Tesemma (2007): p262; Oxford University, Department of Biology. ↩︎
12. Bein and others (1996): p198. ↩︎
13. Bekele-Tesemma (2007): p262. ↩︎
14. The Encyclopedia of Living forms. “Euphorbia abyssinica” Text available under a CC-BY-SA Creative Commons Attribution License. www.llifle.com 14 Nov. 2005. 06 Sep 2025. Retrieved from https://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/SUCCULENTS/Family/Euphorbiaceae/1958/Euphorbia_abyssinica ↩︎
15. Plant Resources of Tropical Africa (PROTA); Encyclopedia of Living forms. ↩︎
16. The Encyclopedia of Living forms. “Euphorbia abyssinica” Text available under a CC-BY-SA Creative Commons Attribution License. www.llifle.com 14 Nov. 2005. 06 Sep 2025. Retrieved from https://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/SUCCULENTS/Family/Euphorbiaceae/1958/Euphorbia_abyssinica ↩︎
17. Bein and others (1996): p198; Bekele-Tesemma (2007): p262. ↩︎
18. The Encyclopedia of Living forms. “Euphorbia abyssinica” Text available under a CC-BY-SA Creative Commons Attribution License. www.llifle.com 14 Nov. 2005. 06 Sep 2025. Retrieved from https://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/SUCCULENTS/Family/Euphorbiaceae/1958/Euphorbia_abyssinica ↩︎
19. Bein and others (1996): p198; Bekele-Tesemma (2007): p262. ↩︎
20. The Encyclopedia of Living forms. “Euphorbia abyssinica” Text available under a CC-BY-SA Creative Commons Attribution License. www.llifle.com 14 Nov. 2005. 06 Sep 2025. Retrieved from https://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/SUCCULENTS/Family/Euphorbiaceae/1958/Euphorbia_abyssinica ↩︎
21. Bein and others (1996): p198; Bekele-Tesemma (2007): p262. ↩︎
22. The Encyclopedia of Living forms. “Euphorbia abyssinica” Text available under a CC-BY-SA Creative Commons Attribution License. www.llifle.com 14 Nov. 2005. 06 Sep 2025. Retrieved from https://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/SUCCULENTS/Family/Euphorbiaceae/1958/Euphorbia_abyssinica ↩︎
23. Oxford University, Department of Biology. Oxford University Plants 400: Euphorbia abyssinica. Retrieved from https://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/plants400/Profiles/EF/Euphorbab ↩︎
24. The Encyclopedia of Living forms. “Euphorbia abyssinica” Text available under a CC-BY-SA Creative Commons Attribution License. www.llifle.com 14 Nov. 2005. 06 Sep 2025. Retrieved from https://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/SUCCULENTS/Family/Euphorbiaceae/1958/Euphorbia_abyssinica ↩︎
25. Bein and others (1996): p198; Bekele-Tesemma (2007): p262. ↩︎
26. World of Succulents. Euphorbia abyssinica (Desert Candle). Retrieved from https://worldofsucculents.com/euphorbia-abyssinica-desert-candle/#google_vignette ↩︎
27. The Encyclopedia of Living forms. “Euphorbia abyssinica” Text available under a CC-BY-SA Creative Commons Attribution License. www.llifle.com 14 Nov. 2005. 06 Sep 2025. Retrieved from https://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/SUCCULENTS/Family/Euphorbiaceae/1958/Euphorbia_abyssinica ↩︎
28. Oxford University, Department of Biology. Oxford University Plants 400: Euphorbia abyssinica. Retrieved from https://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/plants400/Profiles/EF/Euphorbab ↩︎
29. Bein and others (1996): p198; Bekele-Tesemma (2007): p262. ↩︎
30. The Encyclopedia of Living forms. “Euphorbia abyssinica” Text available under a CC-BY-SA Creative Commons Attribution License. www.llifle.com 14 Nov. 2005. 06 Sep 2025. Retrieved from https://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/SUCCULENTS/Family/Euphorbiaceae/1958/Euphorbia_abyssinica ↩︎
31. Oxford University, Department of Biology. Oxford University Plants 400: Euphorbia abyssinica. Retrieved from https://herbaria.plants.ox.ac.uk/bol/plants400/Profiles/EF/Euphorbab ↩︎
32. The Encyclopedia of Living forms. “Euphorbia abyssinica” Text available under a CC-BY-SA Creative Commons Attribution License. www.llifle.com 14 Nov. 2005. 06 Sep 2025. Retrieved from https://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/SUCCULENTS/Family/Euphorbiaceae/1958/Euphorbia_abyssinica ↩︎
33. Bein and others (1996): p198; Bekele-Tesemma (2007): p262. ↩︎
34. The Encyclopedia of Living forms. “Euphorbia abyssinica” Text available under a CC-BY-SA Creative Commons Attribution License. www.llifle.com 14 Nov. 2005. 06 Sep 2025. Retrieved from https://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/SUCCULENTS/Family/Euphorbiaceae/1958/Euphorbia_abyssinica ↩︎
35. Bein and others (1996): p198; Bekele-Tesemma (2007): p262. ↩︎
36. Fern, Ken (2025) Euphorbia abyssinica J.F.Gmel. Useful Tropical Plants. Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2025-09-06. Retrieved from https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Euphorbia+abyssinica ↩︎
37. The Encyclopedia of Living forms. “Euphorbia abyssinica” Text available under a CC-BY-SA Creative Commons Attribution License. www.llifle.com 14 Nov. 2005. 06 Sep 2025. Retrieved from https://www.llifle.com/Encyclopedia/SUCCULENTS/Family/Euphorbiaceae/1958/Euphorbia_abyssinica ↩︎
38. Bein and others (1996): p198; Bekele-Tesemma (2007): p262. ↩︎