Euphorbia arbuscula

Euphorbia arbuscula is a species of plant in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). It is endemic to the archipelago of Socotra in Yemen. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. Scottish botanist Isaac Bayley Balfour described this species in 1884 from material collected from the Yemeni island of Socotra, where he recorded it as common. The species name is derived from the Latin adjective arbusculus "small tree". Two subspecies are recognised. Balfour had visited Socotra in 1880 and collected many plants. Within the large genus Euphorbia it is classified in the subgenus Euphorbia section Tirucalli. The nominate subspecies arbuscula has a tree-like habit, reaching 6 m (20 ft) tall. It has cylindrical greyish green branches. Subspecies montana is smaller, reaching 2 m (7 ft) in height. There are leaves only on the newest shoots, the plants' other greener branches photosynthesise sunlight instead. The leaflets are eaten by goats,......read more on Wikipedia.