Crown-of-thorns
General poisoning notes:
Crown-of-thorns (Euphorbia milii) is an indoor ornamental plant. The plant contains caustic and irritant chemicals in the latex. This plant should not be ingested nor should the juice be rubbed on the skin or in the eyes. Family pets should not be allowed to ingest this plant.
Nomenclature:
Scientific Name: Euphorbia milii Ch. des Moulins
Vernacular name(s): crown-of-thorns
Scientific family name: Euphorbiaceae
Vernacular family name: spurge
Euphorbia milii Ch. des Moulins
Geographic Information
Plant or plant parts used in or around the home.
Toxic parts:
Latex
Notes on Toxic plant chemicals:
Unknown ingenol derivatives of toxic diterpenes are found in the latex of crown-of-thorns and have irritant properties (Frohne and Pfander 1983).
Toxic plant chemicals:
5-deoxyingenol
Animals/Human Poisoning:
Note: When an animal is listed without additional information, the literature (as of 1993) contained no detailed explanation.
Humans
General symptoms of poisoning:
Abdominal pains, blistering, mouth, irritation of
Notes on poisoning:
Crown-of-thorns contains an irritant in the latex that causes skin irritation and problems on mucous membranes and eye tissue. Ingestion can cause irritation of the mouth and stomach, and abdominal pains (Fuller and McClintock 1986).
