Sapium

Sapium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Euphorbiaceae.[2][3] It is widespread across most of Latin America and the West Indies.[1][4] Many Old World species were formerly included in the genus, but recent authors have redistributed all the Old World species into other genera.[5]

Milktrees
Sapium glandulosum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Subfamily: Euphorbioideae
Tribe: Hippomaneae
Subtribe: Hippomaninae
Genus: Sapium
Jacq.
Synonyms[1]

Species are known commonly as milktrees.[6]

Description

These are shrubs and trees. They produce latex. The leaves are alternately arranged and smooth-edged or toothed. They are monoecious, often with spikelike or raceme-shaped inflorescences that have several male flowers, plus a few female flowers near the base. The male flowers have 2 to 4 stamens. The female flowers have 2 to 4 styles which are sometimes coiled. The flowers lack petals. The fruit has 2 to 4 lobes and may split open or not.

Species[1]
  1. Sapium adenodon - Cuba
  2. Sapium allenii - Costa Rica
  3. Sapium argutum - Fr Guiana, Suriname, Amapá, Fernando de Noronha
  4. Sapium ciliatum - Fr Guiana, Suriname, Pará
  5. Sapium cuneatum - Jamaica
  6. Sapium daphnoides - Cuba, Hispaniola
  7. Sapium glandulosum - Mexico, West Indies, Central + S America to Uruguay
  8. Sapium haematospermum - Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, N Argentina, Uruguay
  9. Sapium haitiense - Massif de la Hotte
  10. Sapium jenmannii - Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, NW Brazil; naturalised in Trinidad
  11. Sapium lateriflorum - C + S Mexico, Central America
  12. Sapium laurifolium - Chiapas, Greater Antilles, Central America, NW South America
  13. Sapium laurocerasus - Puerto Rico
  14. Sapium leucogynum - Cuba
  15. Sapium macrocarpum - Mexico, Central America
  16. Sapium marmieri - Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, NW Brazil
  17. Sapium obovatum - Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay
  18. Sapium pachystachys - Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama
  19. Sapium pallidum - Bahia, Minas Gerais
  20. Sapium parvifolium - Cuba
  21. Sapium paucinervium - NE South America
  22. Sapium sellowianum - Minas Gerais, São Paulo
  23. Sapium stylare - Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador

Toxicity

The milky sap of Sapium biloculare is poisonous if it comes into contact with the eyes, mucus membranes, stomach or bloodstream. It was used in arrow poison and to stupefy fish.[7]

References
  1. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. Jacquin, Nicolaus Joseph von. 1790. Enumeratio Systematica Plantarum, quas in insulis Caribaeis 9, 31 in Latin
  3. Tropicos, Sapium Jacq.
  4. Govaerts, R., Frodin, D.G. & Radcliffe-Smith, A. (2000). World Checklist and Bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (and Pandaceae) 1-4: 1-1622. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  5. Kruijt, R. C. (1996). A taxonomic monograph of Sapium Jacq., Anomostachys (Baill.) Hurus., Duvigneaudia J. Léonard and Sclerocroton Hochst. (Euphorbiaceae tribe Hippomaneae). Biblioth. Bot. 146, 1-109.
  6. Sapium. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
  7. Peattie, Donald Culross (1953). A Natural History of Western Trees. New York: Bonanza Books. p. 595.
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