Euphorbia grantii

Euphorbia grantii (syn.) Synadenium grantii) is a species of succulent plant in the family Euphorbiaceae, which is native to Africa.

Name
The specific epithet grantii is in honour of the Scottish explorer James Augustus Grant. It was originally described by Daniel Oliver in 1875. The plant has the common name of African milk bush. The synonym Synadenium grantii is in circulation, too.

Distribution
The plant is native in the African tropics, in particular in Malawi, Kenya and Uganda. It grows at altitudes of 500–2100 meters. It has been introduced in many other tropical regions.

Usage
It is often grown as a hedge plant and as a traditional grave marker among the peoples of central Kenya (Agĩkũyũ, Akamba, etc.).

In 1952 during the Mau Mau Uprising, the poisonous latex of the plant was used to kill cattle.