Euphorbia poissonii,[1] also known as Euphorbia poissoni[2] and, incorrectly, as Euphorbia poisoni, is a highly irritant and toxic
succulent member of the large and varied
spurge family of plants.[3] It is native to northern
Nigeria, where local farmers extract its
latex for use as a pesticide. Its powerfully irritant and pain-producing nature mandates use as a fencing plant. It is known to the
Berom people of the Jos area as pyùlúp who transplant it to their compounds where it is regarded as protection against
witchcraft.
It is named for French botanist Henri Louis Poisson, who formally described other Euphorbia species.
Toxic activity
In addition to a variety of irritant phorbol-type esters, the latex contains
resiniferatoxin and
tinyatoxin, two closely related highly irritant resiniferonol-type esters.[3] The most active
toxin,
resiniferatoxin, binds to pain receptors in the same way as
capsaicin but much more powerfully. It stimulates the neurons to fire repeatedly, causing pain.
Due to its selective nature of binding and killing pain receptors while leaving other
nerve cells intact, resiniferatoxin is currently being researched as a possible treatment for
chronic pain.