Euphorbia glanduligera

Euphorbia glanduligera, commonly the Namib milkweed, is an erect, evergreen, succulent shrublet growing slender branches without spines. A mature plant may be taller than 1 m and much-branched.          

The slender, fleshy branches are smooth, cylindrical and green with sparsely spaced, opposite leaves. The short-petioled leaves are sometimes long and narrowly oblong to ovate. The margins are slightly rolled in and the tips are pointed. Leaf colour is blue-green, the midrib whitish, leaf texture fleshy.

The Namib milkweed South African distribution is in the Northern Cape, North West and Limpopo. It is more common in the western parts of Namibia, especially the coastal areas, the Namib Desert and also occurs in at least Botswana and Zimbabwe. This young plant was spotted just south of the Gariep River between Kakamas and Keimoes in the Northern Cape.

The habitat is arid, rocky flats and dry grassland, receiving summer or winter rain. The plants are drought-tolerant. The species is not considered threatened in habitat early in the twenty first century.