Euporbia Candelabrum (Cactus)

Euphorbia candelabrum is a succulent species of plant in the family Euphorbiaceae, one of several plants commonly known as candelabra tree.^[2] It is closely related to 3 other species of Euphorbia in particular; Euphorbia ingens in the dry regions of South Africa, Euphorbia conspicua from western Angola, and Euphorbia abyssinica which is native to a number of countries including Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Somalia.^[3]

Its Latin name derives from its growth habit, often considered to resemble the branching of a candelabrum. Candelabra trees can be found in dry deciduous and evergreen open wooded grasslands, on rocky slopes and on the rare occasion, termite mounds. As rates of rainfall decrease, so does Euphorbia candelabrum's habitat range.^[4] Trees typically grow to be 12 metres in height however some specimens have been recorded to grow up to 20 metres tall.^[3] E. candelabrum is endemic to the Horn of Africa and eastern Africa along the East African Rift system. It is known in Ethiopia by its Amharic name, qwolqwal, or its Oromo name, adaamii.^[5]

Species such as Grewia and Euphorbiaceae are considered to be fire-sensitive and typically restricted to termite mounds instead of dominating the open savanna ^[6] However, Euphorbia candelabrum has been found to be quite widespread throughout the savanna and short-grass areas of the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. ^[7] This is an unusual habitat for tall succulents, as they have been proven to typically be poor invaders of frequently burned stands of land. Euphorbia candelabrum's success as a tall succulent seems to be a result of over-grazing by African mammals such as the Ugandan kob (Kobus kob Erxleben) and Uganda water‐buck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus defassa Ogilby) and an overall decrease in intense wildfires.^[7]

Some authorities further divide this species into two varieties, Euphorbia candelabrum var. bilocularis and Euphorbia candelabrum var. candelabrum.

Euphorbia candelabrum was used in traditional Ethiopian medicine. Mixed with clarified honey, its sap was used as a purgative to cure syphilis, and when mixed with other medicinal plants as a salve to treat the symptoms of leprosy.^[8] This plant currently has negligible commercial value, although Richard Pankhurst documents two different attempts near Keren in Eritrea to collect its gum before 1935, but neither attempt proved commercially viable.^[9]

In terms of agro-forestry purposes, Euphorbia candelabrum has been used in firewood, timber, and fencing. Its wood is light and durable with a number of purposes including roofing, tables, doors, matches, boxes, mortars, musical instruments and saddles.