''Euphorbia leuconeura'' is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the family

Euphorbiaceae Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family, is a large family of flowering plants. In English, they are also commonly called euphorbias, which is also the name of a genus in the family. Most spurges, such as '' Euphorbia paralias'', are herbs, but some, ...

. Its common name is Madagascar jewel. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

where its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

is forest undergrowth in rocky areas. It can grow to a height of , as a branching small tree, and propagates by shooting its seeds several feet into the air. It is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...

Taxonomy

The specific epithet ''leuconeura'' is derived from the two

ancient greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...

words (), meaning "bright, white", and (), meaning "nerve".

Cultivation

The Madagascar Jewel is grown as a houseplant for its attractive foliage: dark green leaves, with white veins when young. Unlike many succulents, ''E. leuconeura'' is less susceptible to overwatering. It grows best in partial shade but tolerates full shade and is relatively easy to care for providing it is not exposed to cold drafts.

Toxicity

When damaged, the plant secretes a white fluid which is toxic and can cause severe skin irritation. This is typical of most Euphorbia varieties. Euphorbia leuconeura3 ies

References

Endemic flora of Madagascar leuconeura Vulnerable plants Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by Pierre Edmond Boissier {{Euphorbia-stub