Euphorbia millotii

Origin

Euphorbia millotii Baill. is endemic to a small section of the dry western coast of Madagascar, with the type locality in the dry deciduous forests of the Melaky and Boeny regions, broadly between the Tsiribihina River delta and the Soalala peninsula (Africa / Madagascar). It was described by the French botanist Henri Baillon in the late nineteenth century from material collected in the coastal thickets of western Madagascar, and it remains one of the more recognisable small succulent Euphorbias of the island in serious collections.

Habitat

In its natural environment, this species is a specialist of the western Malagasy dry deciduous forest, where it grows in sandy soils over calcareous and sandstone substrates at altitudes from near sea level to about 200 meters above sea level. The climate is strongly seasonal, with a long dry winter and a brief but intense summer rainy season. Plants experience several months of complete leaf loss and rely on their green stems to photosynthesise through the dry season.

Description

Euphorbia millotii is a small, semi-succulent spiny Euphorbia from western Madagascar whose compact branching habit and tidy red-tinged cyathia make it a favourite among collectors of Madagascan succulents.

Stems & Caudex: The plant forms a low, much-branched, semi-succulent shrub 30–60 cm tall, with cylindrical, jointed, dull green to greyish stems that thicken with age into a small, somewhat woody basal caudex.

Roots: A coarse, somewhat tuberous root system anchors the plant into the sandy coastal substrate and helps it survive the long dry season by storing limited moisture.

Spines & Stipules: The stems carry paired, slender, dark stipular spines at each tubercle, forming neat, evenly spaced pairs along the ribs. The spine pairs are diagnostic of the species and distinguish it from related Madagascan euphorbias such as Euphorbia decaryi and Euphorbia francoisii.

Leaves: Leaves are produced at the stem tips in the warm wet months, small, narrowly obovate, and often flushed with red or bronze in bright light, then shed as the dry season sets in.

Flowers: The true flowers are the genus-typical yellow-green cyathia, but in this species they are produced in conspicuous clusters at the branch tips and often develop a pinkish-red tint, giving the plant its ornamental appeal.

Cultivation: Grow in a sharply drained, mineral-rich mix with the caudex raised for display. Water generously during the warm growing months and withhold water almost completely in the cool dry season, when the plant is fully deciduous. Bright light and warm temperatures are essential, and the species is frost-tender.