African milk bush (Euphorbia grantii)
Description
“Pet poisonous” – Toxic parts: leaves, stem, flowers Euphorbia grantii is a species of succulent plant in the Euphorbiaceae family. The specific epithet is in honour of explorer James Augustus Grant. It was originally described by Daniel Oliver in 1875. The plant has the common name of African milk bush. In 1952 during the Mau Mau Uprising, the poisonous latex of the plant was used to kill cattle in incidents of biological warfare.It is often grown as a hedge plant and as a traditional grave marker among the peoples of central Kenya (Agĩkũyũ, Akamba, etc.).
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum:
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Malpighiales
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Family: Euphorbiaceae
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Genus: Euphorbia
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