Euphorbia cotinifolia L.
Vernacular name: Caribbean copper plant, Red spurge
Species Name: Euphorbia cotinifolia L.
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Habit: Evergreen shrub or small tree
Stem: Smooth, slender, multi-branched, deep burgundy to purple; exudes milky irritant sap when cut; light brown bark with surface rings.
Leaf: Simple, whorled, ovate to elliptical, 3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide, glossy coppery-red maturing to dark burgundy; fleshy texture, entire margins, long petioles.
Flowering: Summer.
Flowers: Tiny white/cream flowers in terminal panicles; subtended by showy creamy-white bracts; petals absent, bracts add color contrast to foliage.
Fruit: 3-parted capsule, <1 inch diameter, sparsely hairy to smooth; brown seeds with tiny surface depressions.
Uses:
- In traditional practices, different parts of plants are used to make poultices and decoctions that are applied externally to treat sores and infected nails
- Folk medicines uses milky latex for its strong activities like purgative, emetic and cathartic.
- Toxic sap of plant is used by indigenous groups as an arrow position and to stun fishes by mixing it in water.
- Extracts of plant is used locally in some regions as a natural insecticide and pesticide.
- It is an ornamental plant that is planted as colourful visual screen in tropical and subtropical regions due to its deep purple and copper leaf tones
- It is a natural drought-tolerant landscape plant.
- Bracts of plant are rich in nectar and attracts pollinators.
