Euphorbia is a large genus of smooth and spiny shrubs and cactus-like succulents from 4” to 20 feet in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). Of the more than 1,600 species (including poinsettia, castor bean and cassava), crown of thorns, E.miliiis a smallish tropical species from Madagascar that has long been grown as a houseplant or ornamental in warm climates. Many cultivars and hybrids have been developed that vary in flower size and color. The species name milii honors Baron Milius, once governor of the island of Bourbon, who introduced the species into cultivation in France in 1821. The common name refers to a legend that this plant was used as the thorny crown worn by Jesus at his crucifixion. There is evidence that this plant had been brought to the Middle East before the time of Christ and the stems are flexible enough to weave into a circle, but it is more likely that another plant
