Subshrub to about 50 cm high, branches usually spreading. Stems terete, up to 1 cm wide on leafy branches, red when young, becoming grey. Stipular spines usually 2, laxly arranged,1-2 cm long, without accessory prickles. Leaves seasonally deciduous; blade elliptic to oblanceolate, 15-35 mm long, 6-18 mm wide; tip rounded, with a short sharp point; base tapered to wedge-shaped. Cyathophylls showy; broadly ovate, entire, 8-10 mm long, 7-12 mm wide, red, cream or yellow.
Hybrid cultivars include A 'Stibia', PVJ 6(3)36, and A 'Stigero', A 'Stiloga', A'Stirot', all in PVJ 4(2)4.
This species is often confused with E. hislopii and hybrids of E. lophogona and E. milii. E. hislopii N.E. Br., Giant Crown of Thorns, from Madagascar is a subshrub to 2 m high, branches usually erect. Stems terete, up to 2 cm wide on leafy branches, red when young, becoming grey to olive-green. Stipular spines usually 2, laxly arranged, 1-2 cm long, without accessory prickles. Leaves seasonally deciduous; blade lanceolate-ovate to oblanceolate, 90-150 mm long, 22-40 mm wide, tip rounded to shortly acuminate, base wedge-shaped. Cyathophylls showy; elliptic, 5-6 mm long, 8-10 mm wide, entire, red or cream. Syn E. milii var. hislopii (N.E. Br.) Ursch & Leandri; often distributed as E. milii.
Madagascar.
Source: (2002). Euphorbiaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 3. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 2. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.
