Euphorbia katrajensis - Katraj Ghat Spurge

Katraj Ghat Spurge is an erect herb, up to 40 cm tall, stems round or nearly so, unbranched or rarely symmetrically branched, nodes thickened. It is named for Katraj Ghat, an area close to Pune, where it was first found. Leaves are opposite, stipulate, oblong, oblong-lanceshaped, oblique at base, minutely toothed, pointed or with a short point at tip, 3-6.5 cm long, 3-8 mm wide, hairless; midnerve prominent. Leaf-stalks are about 2 mm long, channelled. Cyathia are borne in leaf-axils, singly. Flower-cluster-stalk is about 8 mm long; involucre top-shaped, about 2.5 x 2 mm, sparsely hairy; lobes 5, oblong, triangular, frilled, slightly hairy inside; glands 4, transversely oblong, about 1 x 0.3 mm, finely velvet-hairy at base; pale brown; limbs of glands broadly round, about 1.5 x 2 mm, entire at lateral margin wavy at apical margin, white or pale pink. Male florets: flower-stalk about 1 mm long, hairless. Capsules are spherical, about 3 x 3 mm, bluntly keeled, hairless. Latex is used as an antidote to snake poison. Katraj Ghat Spurge is endemic to Maharashtra. Flowering: July-November.