Euphorbia tithymaloides
Euphorbia tithymaloides, commonly known as Devil's Backbone or Zigzag plant, is a succulent perennial celebrated in traditional medicine. Characterized by its unique, angular stems, this resilient plant offers diverse therapeutic potential, including anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, making it a significant subject in ethnobotanical studies and herbal healing.
- Scientific name: Euphorbia tithymaloides
- Family: Euphorbiaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. Following its subclass Magnoliidae, it is organized under the order Malpighiales and the family Euphorbiaceae. Finally, it is categorized under the genus Euphorbia.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Malpighiales | WCVP |
| Family | Euphorbiaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Euphorbia | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, Euphorbia tithymaloides, is known by various regional names across different languages and cultures. In Chinese, it is referred to as 红雀珊珊 (zh-hans), 紅雀珊珊 (zh-hant), and 紅雀珊珊 (zh-hk). In Indonesia, it is commonly called Sig-sag (id), while in the Malayalam language of India, it is known as തത്തമ്മച്ചെടി (ml).| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| zh-hans | 红雀珊珊 | Wikidata |
| zh-hant | 紅雀珊珊 | Wikidata |
| zh-hk | 紅雀珊珊 | Wikidata |
| id | Sig-sag | Wikidata |
| ml | തത്തമ്മച്ചെടി | Wikidata |
| vi | Cây thuốc giấu | Wikidata |
| to | Matavivi | Wikidata |
| zh | 紅雀珊瑚 | Wikidata |
| fa | یوفوربیا تیتیمالویدس | Wikidata |
| ru | педилантус титималоидный | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a wide geographical distribution across several distinct tropical regions. In West Tropical Africa, its presence can be identified within the borders of Gambia. Moving toward the continent's center, it is also found in Northeast Tropical Africa, specifically in Chad. Its range extends into South Tropical Africa, where it inhabits both Malawi and Mozambique. Finally, the species reaches the Western Indian Ocean, occurring in the remote Chagos Archipelago.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| West Tropical Africa | Gambia | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Chad | WCVP |
| South Tropical Africa | Malawi | WCVP |
| South Tropical Africa | Mozambique | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Chagos Archipelago | WCVP |
| Western Indian Ocean | Comoros | WCVP |
| Indian Subcontinent | Bangladesh | WCVP |
| Indo-China | Andaman Is. | WCVP |
| Southwestern Pacific | Gilbert Is. | WCVP |
| Southwestern Pacific | Vanuatu | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as Devil's Backbone or Zigzag plant, is characterized by its unique succulent structure. The most distinctive feature is its fleshy, bright green leaves that grow in a staggered, zigzag pattern along the stems. Upon any injury to the stems or the leaves, the plant exudes a thick, milky white latex, which contains various bioactive compounds used in traditional medicinal practices.- Total parts
- 2
- Scientific sources
- 3
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| leaves | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| white latex | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Euphorbia tithymaloides has 4 reported phytochemicals identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include flavonoids, phenol, saponins, terpenoids.
- Total chemicals
- 4
- Scientific sources
- 4
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| flavonoids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| phenol | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| saponins | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| terpenoids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Euphorbia tithymaloides has 9 reported activities identified across 9 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Antibiotic, Antifungal, Antioxidant, Antiplasmodial.
- Total activities
- 9
- Scientific sources
- 9
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antibacterial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antibiotic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antifungal | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antioxidant | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiplasmodial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiseptic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiviral | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Cytotoxic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Emetic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |