Taxon: Euphorbia tithymaloides L.

Summary

Genus:

Euphorbia

Family:

Euphorbiaceae

Subfamily:

Euphorbioideae

Tribe:

Euphorbieae

Subtribe:

Euphorbiinae

Nomen number:

417941

Place of publication:

Sp. pl. 1:453. 1753

Typification:

View in Linnean Typification Project

Verified:

12/15/2009 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

1 (0 active, 0 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Homotypic Synonym(s)
Pedilanthus tithymaloides (L.) Poit.

No images

Conservation Status

CITES Appendix II – Vulnerable to Extinction

Reference(s)

APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae Note: = Pedilanthus tithymaloides (L.) Poit.
Nicolson, D. H. et al. 1991. Flora of Dominica, Part 2: Dicotyledonae. Smithsonian contributions to botany vol. 77. 77:77-79. Note: as Pedilanthus tithymaloides
Steinmann, V. W. 2003. The submersion of Pedilanthus into Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae). Acta Bot. Mex. 65:49.
Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:732.
Walters, S. M. et al., eds. 1986-2000. European garden flora. Note: as Pedilanthus tithymaloides

Common names

Language	Name	note	seq	Citation
English	devil's-backbone	as Pedilanthus tithymaloides	1	Botanical Society of the British Isles. BSBI taxon database (on-line resource). Note: as Pedilanthus tithymaloides
English	Japanese-poinsettia	as Pedilanthus tithymaloides	1	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada Note: as Pedilanthus tithymaloides
English	milkbush	as Pedilanthus tithymaloides	1	Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: as Pedilanthus tithymaloides
English	redbird-cactus	as Pedilanthus tithymaloides	1	1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
English	redbird-flower	as Pedilanthus tithymaloides	1	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada Note: as Pedilanthus tithymaloides
English	slipper-flower	as Pedilanthus tithymaloides	1	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada Note: as Pedilanthus tithymaloides
English	slipperplant	as Pedilanthus tithymaloides	1	Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles. Note: as Pedilanthus tithymaloides
Swedish	skobuske		2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	San Luis Potosí		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:732.
1	Native	Northern America	Northern Mexico	Mexico	Tamaulipas		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:732.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Campeche		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:732.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Chiapas		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:732.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Guerrero		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:732.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Hidalgo		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:732.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	México		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:732.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Michoacán de Ocampo		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:732.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Morelos		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:732.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Oaxaca		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:732.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Querétaro		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:732.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Quintana Roo		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:732.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Tabasco		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:732.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:732.
1	Native	Northern America	Southern Mexico	Mexico	Yucatán		Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:732.
1	Native	Southern America	Brazil	Brazil			Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Antigua and Barbuda			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Bahamas			Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Bermuda			Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Cayman Islands			Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Cuba			Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Dominica			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Dominican Republic			Liogier, H. A. 1981-. Flora of Hispaniola: Part 1; La Flora de la Española. Part II-.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Grenada			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Guadeloupe			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Haiti			Liogier, H. A. 1981-. Flora of Hispaniola: Part 1; La Flora de la Española. Part II-.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Jamaica			Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Netherlands Antilles	Curacao		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	St. Lucia			Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Trinidad and Tobago	Trinidad		Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	United States	Puerto Rico		Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	United States	Virgin Islands, U.S.		Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. et al. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78:1-581.
1	Native	Southern America	Caribbean	Virgin Islands (British)			Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. et al. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78:1-581.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Belize			Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Costa Rica			Burger, W. C., ed. 1971-. Flora costaricensis.
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	El Salvador			Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Guatemala			Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Honduras			Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Nicaragua			Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Southern America	Central America	Panama			Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Guyana			Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Suriname			Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2
1	Native	Southern America	Northern South America	Venezuela			Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Colombia			Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Ecuador			Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
1	Native	Southern America	Western South America	Peru			Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
2	Cultivated					also cult.

Native
Northern America

NORTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas]
SOUTHERN MEXICO: Mexico [Campeche, Chiapas, Guerrero, Hidalgo, México, Michoacán de Ocampo, Morelos, Oaxaca, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, Yucatán]

Southern America

CARIBBEAN: Netherlands Antilles [Curacao], Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Bermuda, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago [Trinidad], United States [Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, U.S.], Virgin Islands (British)
CENTRAL AMERICA: Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador
NORTHERN SOUTH AMERICA: Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela
BRAZIL: Brazil
WESTERN SOUTH AMERICA: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

Cultivated (also cult.)

Reference(s)

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. et al. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78:1-581.
Adams, C. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica
Boggan, J. et al. 1997. Checklist of the plants of the Guianas, ed. 2
Burger, W. C., ed. 1971-. Flora costaricensis.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2000. World checklist and bibliography of Euphorbiaceae
Howard, R. 1974-1989. Flora of the lesser Antilles.
Liogier, H. A. 1981-. Flora of Hispaniola: Part 1; La Flora de la Española. Part II-.
Liogier, H. A. 1984-. Descriptive flora of Puerto Rico and adjacent islands.
Villaseñor, J. L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodivers. 87:732.

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Note	Reference
Environmental	ornamental		Nicolson, D. H. et al. 1991. Flora of Dominica, Part 2: Dicotyledonae. Smithsonian contributions to botany vol. 77. 77:77-79. Note: as Pedilanthus tithymaloides
Environmental	ornamental		Walters, S. M. et al., eds. 1986-2000. European garden flora. Note: as Pedilanthus tithymaloides
Vertebrate poisons	mammals	as Pedilanthus tithymaloides	Lampe, K. F. & M. A. McCann. 1985. AMA handbook of poisonous and injurious plants

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=417941. Accessed 15 April 2026.