jackal's-food

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• jackal's-food
• yellow milkbush

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Tirucalia mauritanica
• Tithymalus mauritanicus
• Euphorbia hydnorae
• Tithymalus brachypus
• Euphorbia melanosticta
• Tithymalus flaccidus
• Euphorbia paxiana
• Tithymalus zeyheri
• Euphorbia sarcostemmatoides
• Euphorbia mauritanica var. foetens
• Euphorbia phymatoclada
• Euphorbia mauritanica var. minor
• Euphorbia corallothamnus
• Euphorbia mauritanica var. lignosa
• Euphorbia mauritanica var. corallothamnus
• Tirucalia paxiana
• Euphorbia mauritanica var. namaquensis
• Tirucalia sarcostemmatoides

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and is classified under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. It is further organized into the order Malpighiales and the family Euphorbiaceae. Finally, it is categorized under the genus Euphorbia, specifically as the species Euphorbia mauritanica.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a wide-ranging geographical distribution across both the African continent and the Indian subcontinent. Within Southern Africa, its presence is notably established throughout the various Cape Provinces. It can also be found growing in the arid regions of Namibia and across the landscapes of the Free State. Furthermore, the species extends its reach into the subtropical areas of KwaZulu-Natal. Beyond Africa, the plant is also documented as occurring within the Indian subcontinent, specifically in India.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Euphorbia mauritanica is characterized by its ability to thrive across a broad altitudinal gradient, demonstrating significant environmental plasticity. This species is found distributed within an extensive elevational range, spanning from as low as 10 m AMSL to a maximum altitude of 3100 m AMSL. This wide vertical distribution suggests that the plant is capable of adapting to diverse ecological niches, ranging from lowland coastal or arid environments to high-altitude montane habitats. Such a vast range implies resilience to varying temperature regimes, varying levels of atmospheric pressure, and diverse moisture availability found across these different elevations.

Elevational range max:

3100 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

10 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Euphorbia mauritanica is characterized by its status as a perennial species, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons within its habitat. In terms of its structural growth strategy, it is classified as a chamaephyte, meaning its stems or buds are located close to the soil surface, often protected by a layer of leaf litter or ground debris. This life form enables the plant to endure environmental fluctuations while maintaining a consistent presence in its ecological niche over its extended lifespan.

Life form :

chamaephyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Euphorbia mauritanica is characterized by a growth form that primarily manifests as a shrub or a herbaceous plant, exhibiting a non-woody structure. It is a self-supporting species, functioning as an independent organism rather than a parasite or an epiphyte, typically maintaining a terrestrial habit, though it can exist in aquatic or semiaquatic environments. The plant's stature is variable, with a height ranging from a minimum of 0.07 m to a maximum of 2.74 m. In terms of its physical habit, it does not function as a climber, liana, or vine, but instead relies on its own structural integrity to remain self-supporting.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

shrub

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

2.74 m

Plant height min:

0.07 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Euphorbia mauritanica is characterized by highly specialized metabolic adaptations designed to optimize water-use efficiency in arid environments. A defining physiological feature of this species is its photosynthetic pathway, which utilizes Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM). Unlike standard C3 or C4 plants, Euphorbia mauritanica employs this CAM pathway to decouple carbon dioxide uptake from light-dependent reactions, allowing the plant to open its stomata primarily at night to minimize transpirational water loss. During the nocturnal phase, atmospheric $CO_2$ is fixed into organic acids, which are then decarboxylated during the day to provide a concentrated stream of carbon for the Calvin cycle while the stomata remain closed. This physiological strategy, combined with its succulent morphology, enables the plant to maintain positive carbon balance and survive prolonged periods of drought and high thermal stress.

Photosynthetic pathway :

CAM

Reproduction

The reproduction of Euphorbia mauritanica is characterized by the production of specialized seeds that exhibit specific weight distributions essential to its dispersal and establishment. Based on quantitative morphological data, the seeds demonstrate a highly consistent mass profile, with a measured mean seed mass of 0.00755 g. The variation within the population is relatively narrow, ranging from a minimum seed mass of 0.00685 g to a maximum seed mass of 0.0079 g. This precision in seed size suggests a stabilized reproductive strategy, where the energy investment per propagule is finely tuned to optimize germination success within its ecological niche.

Seed mass max:

0.0079 g

Seed mass mean:

0.00755 g

Seed mass min:

0.00685 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Euphorbia mauritanica has 5 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Cembrene, Eucalyptol, Kaur-16-ene, LIMONENE, Verticiol.

Cembrene

1. Chemistry & biodiversity

Eucalyptol

1. Chemistry & biodiversity

Kaur-16-ene

1. Chemistry & biodiversity

LIMONENE

1. Chemistry & biodiversity

Verticiol

1. Chemistry & biodiversity

Activities

Euphorbia mauritanica has 3 reported activities identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Allelopathic, Antioxidant, Cytotoxic.

Allelopathic

1. Chemistry & biodiversity

Antioxidant

1. Chemistry & biodiversity

Cytotoxic

1. Chemistry & biodiversity