Euphorbia is a genus in the family Euphorbiaceae. Consisting of 2008 species, Euphorbia is the fourth largest genus of flowering plants. Succulent species originate mostly from Africa, the Americas and Madagascar. The common name “spurge” derives from the Middle English/Old French espurge (“to purge”), due to the use of the plant’s sap as a medicinal purgative. The plants are annual or perennial herbs, woody shrubs or trees. Smaller Euphorbias make excellent potted plants while larger species are valuable landscaping plants.

Euphorbia mammillaris commonly known as Indian Corn Cob is endemic to South Africas Little Karoo and Southern Cape area. It is normally found growing in thorny bush-lands. At some locations it is very common, often growing together with Euphorbia esculenta and Euphorbia ferox. Euphorbia mammillaris also sometimes spelled Euphorbia mamillaris or Euphorbia mammilaris is a short stemmed dioecious shrublet producing a dense cluster. It normally grows 20-35cm tall. It usually has many club-like lateral branches, starting about 10cm above ground and arches upward. It has anything from 7 to 17 hexagonal crowded tubercles set in vertical rows like that of an ear of corn and is separated by horizontal grooves. Occasionally spines are present and scattered, thick, blunt and whitish and up to 1 cm long. The spines are actually the solitary sterile peduncles. Sometimes when growing in an area that has some shade during the day it will have small, ephemeral leaves. It produces yellow solitary cyathia at the tip of each stem from late winter to early summer.