Plant Euphorbia grandicornis belongs to the Euphorbiacear family.
It is a large family that includes about 280 genera and 8,000 species spread all over the world, represented by herbs, shrubs, and trees. It also includes succulent plants.
The members of this species also contain abundant latex, which is one of the most important features of this species.
And this milky juice is very dangerous, as one drop is enough to lose sight if it enters the eye, and it also causes skin inflammation, especially if the skin has scratches or wounds.
This milky substance is also used to exterminate snails in waterways and stagnant waters.
Flowers in this species are single-sex, and insects can play an important role in conducting the pollination process.
The most important genus in the family is Euphorbiacear, the genus Euphorbia, and this genus is followed by a number of juicy species, including the cow’s horn plant. The original home of this genus is the tropical regions of the continent of Africa.
Scientific name of a plant
Euphorbia grandicornis Goebel
Euphorbia grandicornis Goebel:
English name of the plant
cow’s horn plant
The original home of the cow’s horn plant
South Africa:
Cow’s Horn. Botanical description.
Cow’s Horn plant is one of the succulent plants under my shrub, and it has very beautiful and splendid thorny branches, and it resembles thorny plants.
As for the stem and branches, they are upright with three angles, and these angles are broad, winged, and deeply constricted at the joints, and the edges are wavy, and these wavy ribs are about 15 cm thick, fan-shaped, green in color, which later turns into a grayish-green color when they grow in age.
On the edges of the stem and branches there are very strong, bony thorns that are found in stellar pairs, the length of which is between 2-5 cm, and they are brown in color, then with the age of the plant they turn to a greenish-gray color.
The branches grow in the form of very beautiful flagella, which makes the plant loved by all. As for the flowers, they are of a yellow color in Cyathia present among the thorns in a star-shaped formation with a very beautiful view.
As for the fruits, when they swell, the seeds spread in every direction with the wind, with a popping sound occurring during the seeds’ exit and spread through the air.
Cow’s Horn plant propagation.
The Cow’s Horn plant is propagated by cultivating cuttings by taking a part of the plant about 20 cm long and leaving it for several weeks in a well-ventilated place until the juice of the cuttings dries completely, then it is planted in a light soil consisting of silt + peat moss + sand at a ratio of 1: 1 : 1 The cuttings are planted with full attention to the irrigation process so that the cuttings are not flooded with water at all, but the irrigation is very light.
Cow’s Horn plant water.
Usually, watering Cow’s Horn plant very lightly, without extravagance. Also, the plant should not be thirsty, but the watering should be balanced.
Watering is usually done in the summer during the high temperatures every week, but during the winter, irrigation is done approximately every 15 days.
Increasing water for Cow’s Horn is harmful to the plant. Water should not be increased
Cow’s Horn plant Fertilizing.
The Cow’s Horn plant is fertilized with an integrated fertilizer of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium NPK 12 – 12 – 12 at a rate of 150 g / plant of 3 – 5 years of age, with an increase in the quantity as the plant grows in age. Fertilization is done in two batches during March and August as well. Humic acid can be used at a rate of one cm per 10 liters, and amino acids or em, which are rich in nutrients and beneficial bacteria, can be added.
Well-decomposed organic fertilizer can also be used as the plant ages every month.
Growing Cow’s Horn at home.
The Cow’s Horn plant is grown in home gardens, and it is also good in home gardens, provided that it is grown in sunny places, taking into account that the soil is good, light, porous, and well drained.