Smoke tree spurge (Euphorbia cotinifolia)

Asap merah or smoke tree spurge or Mexican shrubby spurge (Euphorbia cotinifolia) is a species of plant in the Euphorbiaceae, a shrub or small tree with erect stems and woody, red leaves and is often used as an ornamental plant.

E. cotinifolia has a height of up to 9 meters, cylindrical, sturdy, bark brown or purplish, many branches and twigs, if broken will release sap that irritates the skin.

The leaves grow along the branches with long stalks and are red. The leaf blade is ovate, the tips are rounded, the margins are flat, the upper side is red, the underside is purplish, a main vein in the middle with many lateral veins.

Small white flowers with cream-colored bracts, blooming at the ends of branches in summer. The sap is toxic and causes irritation to human skin or eyes. The plant is commonly used as an ornamental in gardens and in pots with well-draining soil and full sun.

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Subfamily: Euphorbioideae
Tribe: Euphorbieae
Subtribe: Euphorbiinae
Genus: Euphorbia
Subgenus: Chamaesyce
Section: Alectoroctonum
Species: Euphorbia cotinifolia

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