''Sapium'' is a
genus of
flowering plants in the
family Euphorbiaceae. It is widespread across most of
Latin America and the
West Indies.
[Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families]
/ref> Many Old World
The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...
species were formerly included in the genus, but recent authors have redistributed all the Old World species into other genera.
Species are known commonly as milktrees.[''Sapium''.]
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
Description
These are shrub
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
s and trees. They produce latex. The leaves are alternately arranged and smooth-edged or toothed. They are monoecious
Monoecy (; adj. monoecious ) is a sexual system in seed plants where separate male and female cones or flowers are present on the same plant. It is a monomorphic sexual system alongside gynomonoecy, andromonoecy and trimonoecy.
Monoecy is conne ...
, often with spikelike or raceme
A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...
-shaped inflorescences that have several male flowers, plus a few female flowers near the base. The male flowers have 2 to 4 stamen
The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10
Morphology and terminology
A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...
s. The female flowers have 2 to 4 styles which are sometimes coiled. The flowers lack petals. The fruit has 2 to 4 lobes and may split open or not.
;Species[
]
Toxicity
The milky sap of ''Sapium biloculare'' is poisonous if it comes into contact with the eyes, mucus membranes, stomach or bloodstream. It was used in arrow poison and to stupefy fish.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q649393
Hippomaneae
Euphorbiaceae genera
Taxa named by Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin