| MORPHOLOGY |
The pencil cactus is a shrub or a small tree with pencil-thick, green, smooth, succulent branches that reaches heights of growth of up to 7 meters. It has a cylindrical and fleshy stem with fragile succulent twigs that are 7 mm thick, often produced in whorls, longitudinally, finely striated. The oval leaves are 1 to 2.5 cm long and about 3 to 4 mm wide; they usually fall off early. It contains a milky, toxic and corrosive sap. The yellow flowers are at the ends of the branches |
| MEDICINAL PROPERTIES |
ul {margin: 0;}- E. tirucalli is used for rheumatism, warts, cough, asthma, ear-ache, tooth-ache and neuralgia.
- Wood decoctions are applied against leprosy and hands and feet paralysis
- The plant latex is used to cure skin ailments and bone fractures.
- E. tirucalli latex has been reported to have pesticidal properties against aphids.
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