Euphorbia candelabrum

rdf:langString Euphorbia candelabrum

rdf:langString Euphorbia

rdf:langString Euphorbia candelabrum in the Serengeti

rdf:langString candelabrum

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rdf:langString Euphorbia calycina (N.E.Br.)

rdf:langString Euphorbia confertiflora (Volkens)

rdf:langString Euphorbia murielii (N.E.Br.)

rdf:langString Euphorbia reinhardtii (Volkens)

rdf:langString Euphorbia candelabrum is a succulent species of plant in the family Euphorbiaceae, one of several plants commonly known as candelabra tree. It is endemic to the Horn of Africa and eastern Africa along the East African Rift system. It is known in Ethiopia by its Amharic name, qwolqwal, or its Oromo name, adaamii. It is closely related to three other species of Euphorbia: Euphorbia ingens in the dry regions of southern Africa, Euphorbia conspicua from western Angola, and Euphorbia abyssinica, which is native to countries including Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Somalia. Its Latin name derives from its growth habit, often considered to resemble the branching of a candelabrum. Candelabra trees can be found in dry deciduous and evergreen open wooded grasslands, on rocky slopes and on rare occasions termite mounds. As rainfall decreases, so does E. candelabrum's habitat range. Trees typically grow to be 12 metres in height; however, some specimens have been recorded to grow up to 20 metres tall. Species such as Grewia and those in the Euphorbiaceae are considered to be fire-sensitive and typically restricted to termite mounds instead of dominating the open savanna However, E. candelabrum is widespread throughout the savanna and short-grass areas of the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. This is an unusual habitat for tall succulents, as they have been proven to typically be poor invaders of frequently burned stands of land. E. candelabrum's success as a tall succulent seems to be a result of heavy grazing by African mammals such as the Ugandan kob (Kobus kob) and waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa) and an overall decrease in intense wildfires. Some authorities further divide this species into two varieties, E. candelabrum var. candelabrum and E. candelabrum var. bilocularis. Euphorbia candelabrum was used in traditional Ethiopian medicine. Mixed with clarified honey, its sap was used as a purgative to cure syphilis and, when mixed with other medicinal plants, as a salve to treat the symptoms of leprosy. The plant currently has negligible commercial value; Richard Pankhurst documents two different attempts near Keren in Eritrea to collect its gum before 1935, but neither attempt proved commercially viable. Euphorbia candelabrum has been used in firewood, timber, and fencing. Its wood is light and durable, with a number of purposes including roofing, tables, doors, matches, boxes, mortars, musical instruments and saddles.