Euphorbia milii
麒麟花的綻放色彩斑斕，恍若故老傳說祥瑞的化身，守護著一方天地。
周宛瑩攝
Scientific name：Euphorbia milii
Chinese common name：麒麟花、虎刺梅、番仔刺
Family：Euphorbiaceae
Distributions
National distributions：Madagasikara
Current geographical distributions：Currently introduced to tropical areas such as India, Southeast Asia, Bolivia, Central America, and Florida.
Morphology
Stem：Evergreen shrub, less than 1 meter tall, with white latex throughout; thick stems, cylindrical and quadrangular, densely covered with needle-like hard thorns, 2 to 2.5 cm long.
Leaf：The leaves alternate and densely grow at the apex of the branches, ovate or long-ovate, 3~5 cm long, 1~1.5 cm wide, the apex is rounded and blunt with sharp protrusions, the base is narrow or blunt, papery or thick papery, and the surface is Glossy green, slightly lighter on the back.
Flower：The inflorescences are terminal and arranged in cymes. There are two bracts, which are red, yellow or orange, depending on the variety. The flowers generally referred to are actually its bracts, which are brick red. There are also yellow ones, but they are extremely rare.
The real flowers are inconspicuous, located in the middle of the bracts, called Cyathia, they are orange or yellow in color.
The shape of the bracts is very special, a bit like a funnel but more like a lip mark with lipstick.
There are several male flowers, each with only one stamen.
Seed：The seeds are egg-cylindrical, about 0.25 cm long and 0.2 cm in diameter, grey-brown, and have flowers and fruits throughout the year.
Fruit：The capsule is triangular and ovoid, about 0.35 cm long and 0.4 cm in diameter, smooth and hairless, and splits into 3 spores when mature.
周宛瑩攝
周宛瑩攝
周宛瑩攝
Habitat, phenology, pollination, and dispersal
Habitat：They are suitable for cultivation in flower beds, ground covers or potted plants.
Phenology, pollination, and dispersal：The central flower contains the actual reproductive parts, and the colorful bracts surrounding them serve to attract pollinators. Pollination is usually carried out by insects, especially bees and beetles, which are attracted by their colorful bracts and inadvertently transfer pollen to them. Transferred from male to female flowers.
Applications, and the interesting thing
Application：Euphorbia milii are often used to decorate wedding venues because they symbolize auspiciousness and beauty. Its gorgeous flowers add to the festive atmosphere, and the loyalty and perseverance in the language of flowers also echo the love vows in married life.
Euphorbia milii also represents luck and success and often appears at new store openings and corporate celebrations.
Interesting thing：It is said that during the Pangu Kaitian era, there was a monster that combined the characteristics of cattle, sheep, and horses. It was covered in scales and armor, making it difficult for enemies to attack it. Just like the "Kilin flower", its stems were covered with thorns, hence its name.