Crown of Thorns - Euphorbia milii

Etymology	Genus	After Euphorbus, a Greek physician to the King of Mauritana
Etymology	Species	After M. le baron Milius, Governor of Île Bourbon, present day Reunion Island
Family		Euphorbiaceae
Synonyms		Euphorbia bojeri Hook., Sterigmanthe bojeri (Hook.) Klotzsch & Garcke, Tumalis bojeri (Hook.) Raf.
Common Names		Crown of Thorns, Christ's Thorn, Christ's Plant
Status		Exotic: Cultivated Only
Form		Shrub
Native Distribution		Madagascar

Diagnostics:

This attractive shrub, Euphorbia milii is commonly cultivated in home gardens. It has perpetually flowering pink or red petal-like bracts, leafy, with the stems entirely covered by thorns. Other cultivars may spot white or yellow flowers.

Interesting Facts:

From the Bible (John 19:2 NIV) "The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head...". The common names of this species, Crown of Thorns or Christ's Thorn is thus named as such, being one of the plants thought to be used to be placed on Jesus Christ's head during the events leading to his crucification. However, Musselman (2007) believed that this biblical crown of thorns was more likely made from another shrub, Sacropoterium spinous, being abundant around Jerusalem.