''Excoecaria'' is a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae, formally described by Linnaeus in 1759. The genus is native to the

Old World The "Old World" is a term for Afro-Eurasia that originated in Europe , after Europeans became aware of the existence of the Americas. It is used to contrast the continents of Africa, Europe, and Asia, which were previously thought of by the ...

Tropics ( Africa, southern Asia, northern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, and assorted oceanic islands).Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref>

Etymology

Genus name, ''Excoecaria'', is from the Latin word ''excaeco'', which means "to blind" and refers to the sap of the plants that can cause temporary blindness.

Toxic latex

The milky latex of '' Excoecaria agallocha'', also known as ''Thillai'', milky mangrove, blind-your-eye mangrove and river poison tree, is poisonous. Mangroves of this plant surround the ancient

Thillai Chidambaram Temple Thillai Nataraja Temple, also referred as the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Nataraja, the form of Shiva as the lord of dance. This temple is located in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. This temple has ancient roots ...

in Tamil Nadu. Contact with skin can cause irritation and rapid blistering; contact with eyes will result in temporary blindness. It is distributed in the Pichavaram wetlands, near Chidambaram India, in

from northern New South Wales, along the northern coastline around to Western Australia.The latex is extremely poisonous. Even dried and powdered leaves contain the poison which can kill fish very quickly.

Species list

The list of currently recognized species in this genus.

Former species

These species were once included in ''Excoecaria'' but are not now consider members of this genus. They have been moved to these other genera: ''

Actinostemon ''Actinostemon'' is a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae first described as a genus in 1841. It is native to South America, Central America, and the West Indies.González Ramírez, J. 2010. Euphorbiaceae. En: Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica. ...

, Adenopeltis, Alchornea,

Anomostachys ''Anomostachys'' is a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae first described as a genus in 1951. It contains one known species, ''Anomostachys lastellei'', endemic to Madagascar.Govaerts, R., Frodin, D.G. & Radcliffe-Smith, A. (2000). World Chec ...

, Bocquillonia,

Bonania ''Bonania'' is a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae first described as a genus in 1850. It is native to the West Indies.Govaerts, R., Frodin, D.G. & Radcliffe-Smith, A. (2000). World Checklist and Bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (and Pandaceae ...

, Cerbera, Falconeria, Grimmeodendron,

Gymnanthes ''Gymnanthes'' is a genus of flowering plants in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae first described as a genus in 1788. It is found primarily in the warmer parts of the Western Hemisphere (from Florida and Mexico south to Argentina), but with some ...

Homalanthus ''Homalanthus'' is a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae first described as a genus in 1824.Jussieu, Adrien Henri Laurent de. 1824. De Euphorbiacearum Generibus Medicisque earumdem viribus tentamen, tabulis aeneis 18 illustratum 50 It is the ...

Maprounea ''Maprounea'' is a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae first named as a genus in 1775. It is native to tropical Africa, Trinidad, and tropical Central and South America.Webster, G. L. & M.J. Huft. 1988. Revised synopsis of Panamanian Euphorbi ...

Microstachys Microstachys is a genus of plants in the Euphorbiaceae first described as a genus in 1824. It is native to tropical Africa, southern Asia, Australia, Papuasia, Mesoamerica, the West Indies, and South America.Govaerts, R., Frodin, D.G. & Radcliffe ...

Neoshirakia ''Neoshirakia'', known as milktree, is a genus of plants in the Euphorbiaceae, native to east Asia. It is part of a group first described in 1954 with the name ''Shirakia'', but this proved to be an illegitimate name, unacceptable under the Code ...

Sapium ''Sapium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Euphorbiaceae. It is widespread across most of Latin America and the West Indies. Many Old World species were formerly included in the genus, but recent authors have redistributed all ...

, Sclerocroton,

Sebastiania ''Sebastiania'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Euphorbiaceae first described in 1821. It is native to North and South America from Arizona and the West Indies south to Uruguay.Webster, G. L. & M.J. Huft. 1988. Revised synopsis of Pa ...

Shirakiopsis ''Shirakiopsis'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Euphorbiaceae first described as a genus in 1999. There are six known species, 3 native to tropical Asia and 3 to tropical Africa.Spirostachys ''Spirostachys'' is a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae first described as a genus in 1850. It is native to Africa.Govaerts, R., Frodin, D.G. & Radcliffe-Smith, A. (2000). World Checklist and Bibliography of Euphorbiaceae (and Pandacea ...

Stillingia ''Stillingia'' is a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae, first described for modern science as a genus in 1767. The genus is native to Latin America, the southern United States, and various islands in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Toothleaf ...

, and

Triadica ''Triadica'' is a plant genus of the family Euphorbiaceae Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family, is a large family of flowering plants. In English, they are also commonly called euphorbias, which is also the name of a genus in the family. Most sp ...

''.

References

External links

milky mangrove
{{Taxonbar, from=Q3237072 Euphorbiaceae genera