Euphorbia trigona

Euphorbia trigona, commonly the African milk tree or African milk weed, grows erect branches, three-sided or sometimes with four sides. The flat surfaces between the stem ridges have markings in shades of green. Large trees are said to fall over from a poor root system. The latex should not be ingested or come into contact with eyes.

The dark green stems have pale green markings concentrated up the central channels of the blades with thin lines to the ridges. Paired spines, angled sideways and about 5 mm long, grow spaced on small cushions along the stem ridges. Small, obovate leaves grow on stem ridges between the spines on new stem parts, dropping off early.

The plant is probably from tropical Africa, probably West Africa, but may also be from India. It may also be a hybrid not known to flower.

Sold by nurseries locally and in many countries worldwide is common as a house-plant. It grows to over 2 m tall in moderate temperatures, needing little watering and grows easily from stem cuttings (Smith, et al, 2017; iNaturalist; Wikipedia).