在热带东非与南非的干旱地区,生长着一种奇异有趣的肉质木本植物,叫做光棍树(Euphorbia tirucalli)。它和我们习见的花卉霸王鞭、一品红等大戟科植物是同宗兄弟。光棍树树姿别具一格,它直立、秃净、长成无刺的灌木、或者小乔木的样子,高4—9米、枝条肉质,绿色,圆棍状,满树都是光溜溜的绿枝。它的叶片很小,而且早早地就脱落了,不注意观察是不容易看见的,因而,人们叫它光棍树,也有人叫它是神仙棒或绿玉树,在国外则因茎杆有白色乳汁,称它为牛奶树,日本人则称呼它为青珊瑚。光棍树为什么不见叶子呢?这和它诞生的故乡,非洲干旱的气侯条件有关。它长出小叶后很快脱落,以减少体 In the arid regions of tropical East Africa and South Africa, a singular and interesting meaty woody plant called Euphorbia tirucalli is growing. It and we see the flowers bully whip, poinsettia and other Euphorbiaceae plants are the same siblings. Balsam tree unique posture, it erect, bald, grow into stingless shrubs, or small trees look like, 4-9 meters high, succulent branches, green, round sticks, full of trees are bare green branches. Its leaves are small and fall off early, without noticing that observation is not easy to see. Therefore, people call it the bachelor tree, and some call it fairy or green eucalyptus trees, while in other countries the stems have white latex , Call it milk tree, Japanese call it blue coral. Why the bachelor tree does not see the leaves? This is the birthplace of its home, Africa, arid climatic conditions. It sheds quickly after it grows to reduce body size