Meanings
- uncountableA type of succulent plant, resembling a small cactus, of species Euphorbia polygona var. horrida, previously known as Euphorbia horrida.
Also called "African milk barrel," this plant has a beautiful silver skin. The lower part is wooden, rather like a tree trunk.
2020 March 10, Misa Matsuyama, “Euphorbia horrida”, in The Gardener's Guide to Succulents: A Handbook of Over 125 Exquisite Varieties of Succulents and Cacti, Tuttle Publishing, →ISBN1 more example
African milk barrel is a clump-forming stem succulent native to South Africa, with grey-green stems covered in reddish brown thorns. Flowers form in summer at the tip of each stem.
2023 April 11, Paul Rees, The Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing Cacti and Succulents, Frances Lincoln, →ISBN, page 83
Origin
Named for the white latex released whenever one of the cylindrical stems is pierced or cut.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
African milk barrel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/African%20milk%20barrel
“African milk barrel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/African%20milk%20barrel. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “African milk barrel,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/African%20milk%20barrel.
Source: African milk barrel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.