Euphorbia burmannii in the flowering season

Euphorbia burmannii, called bloumelkbos (blue milkbush) in Afrikaans among other names, is drought tolerant. This is a Karoo plant and known more widely in arid and desert parts, such as the Richtersveld and southern Namibia.

The plant is sometimes thought to be unpalatable to herbivores, although some have reported it as palatable to sheep as old man saltbush. Old man saltbush or Atriplex nummularia has been widely introduced on stock farms in the central arid region of South Africa as emergency grazing. The soetdoring (Vachellia karroo) fruit pods are also palatable to game and stock in these parts. Availability that decreases in drought determines what fodder options will take precedence and get consumed first, animals being as picky as people.

Steenbokkos (steenbok food), another Afrikaans common name of the plant in picture, has cylindrical green stems with short-lived leaves on the young growth at the stem tips. In dry conditions pieces may drop off the plant and take root if conditions allow. It produces yellow flowers in winter and spring (Frandsen, 2017; Smith, et al, 2017; iNaturalist; www.elsenburg.com).